Second Chances

Chapters

The Wounded
Signs in the Night
Out from Darkness
A New Journey Begins
...And Into Light

The Wounded

SECOND CHANCES: AN EQUESTRIA GIRLS STORY

Chapter One: The Wounded

Darkness.

Everything was darkness.

Her hands reached out in seemingly every direction, desperate to figure out where she was. It didn't feel like the tiny apartment she shared with her sisters. It felt empty, like a void. There was literally nothing there.

She continued to flail around until she spotted something emerging from the darkness. Her heartbeat began to increase and her breath came in ragged panicked gasps when she realized it was a pair of glowing, blood red eyes right next to her. Her terror only increased when the eyes were revealed to belong to a monstrous creature, seemingly human but sporting the aforementioned eyes and a mouth filled with razor-sharp teeth. From the creature's back sprouted two sinister red wings, like the fins of a fish. The creature grinned at her with a wicked malevolence, like a sadistic predator who had found its prey and was ready to do something unspeakable before it finally devoured it.

She opened her mouth to scream, but nothing came forth before the monster grabbed her by the throat and dragged her closer to it. Her eyes felt like they were burning staring into the malevolent light that shined from the eyes, and she could feel the creature's hot breath on her face as it glared seemingly into her very soul. She desperately tried to tear the thing's hands from her throat, but the creature just laughed wickedly before tossing her through the void. She screamed in terror as she flew through darkness before a light overwhelmed her and her face slammed into something. Grunting in pain, she rolled over to see the twilight sky above her, the stars beginning to emerge from the shroud of the lingering daylight.

She tried to get up, only to feel something latch on to her wrists and feet. She looked to either side to see them held down by streams of arcane energy. She screeched in terror and tried to free herself, only for them to tighten their grip to a painful extent. In her struggle, she spotted something out of her peripheral vision. She winced as she forced her upper body up as far as it could go.

And then she saw them. Seven very familiar looking girls, all glaring at her. The hands of the lead girl, her violet and lilac hair seemingly flowing in an unseen wind, had her hands engulfed in a magic aura. Her violet eyes bored right into her own, and the words that she spoke dripped with contempt.

"Monsters can't be allowed to exist." The girl raised her glowing hands up above her head, and before her terrified eyes, an enormous horse composed seemingly entirely of pure magic rose above her. Its whinny sounded like thunder as it reared up above her. She felt her eyes begin to sting with tears as she realized what was about to happen.

"No! No, please no!" She cried out in terror and desperation. "Don't hurt me!" Her pleas for mercy fell on deaf ears as the lead girl brought her hands down. She screamed in terror as the horse brought itself down upon her.

The last thing she saw was it's hoof slamming into her head.

"No!" She gasped as she shot awake. Her skin was clammy and her pajamas and sheets were drenched in sweat. Her eyes darted about the dark room she was in before she realized she was home. She leaped out of bed and raced to the bathroom. A quick twist of a faucet and she was soon drenching her face in warm water. Finally managing to calm herself down, she looked into the bathroom mirror.

Her hair was matted and sticking to her face in places the water didn't touch. Her skin was pale and her pupils were nearly pinpricks from the stark terror she had experienced.

It was just like before. She had been having the same nightmare for weeks. Seemingly every night her sleep had been disturbed by the same horrors. She felt her eyes begin to sting with tears as she clambered out of bathroom and back into her bed. Overcome by fear and a familiar sensation of her heart being crushed, she began to softly sob until sleep slowly began to overtake her again and she drifted off hoping that morning would soon come.

The first thing that hit her was the smell of grilling burgers and french fries along with the sound of soft rock music playing from an ancient jukebox that seemingly sat alone and unused in the corner of the diner as she opened the door to the sound of the ringing shop bell. The smell never failed to get Rainbow Dash's mouth watering whenever she entered Tom's Diner. Perhaps the greasiest of greasy spoons in Canterlot City's downtown, it was nevertheless one of her favorite hangout spots during the summer months. The food was always fantastic and the atmosphere was perfect for when she wanted to just sit and think, or enjoy a day out with her friends like she was preparing to do now.

Out of habit, she scanned the dining area before pulling out her phone. A quick text to Fluttershy told her the pink-haired girl would be running a tad late, as the animal shelter was shorthanded and needed her to take up some extra duties. Rainbow wasn't bothered by this as she took her preferred corner booth, however; it gave her some time to relax after a grueling day at the gym keeping in shape for her numerous sports activities. Stretching some of her aching muscles, the rainbow-haired teen sighed with content as she settled into her booth to await the arrival of her friend.

A quick glance around the diner revealed the place was decked out with framed newspapers dedicated to just about every single major event that ever happened to Canterlot High. It wasn't a surprising choice, given that the diner's cheerful owner was an alumnus. Rainbow's magenta eyes focused on a few in particular.

Wondercolts Take State! Blared one. She grinned proudly at that one, remembering when she scored the winning goal in the finals and finally put a sock in the collective mouths of the preppy uptown school they had demolished.

Friendship Games ends in rare tie. Said the one next to it. Tom seemed to like organizing them by content rather than date. A warm smile came to her face when she beheld the photograph accompanying the article, showing her standing next to a bespectacled girl with very familiar hair and eye color. It was the first time in a long time that the Friendship Games had lived up to their name when they had befriended Twilight Sparkle from this side of the portal.

Canterlot High Celebrates 50th Anniversary. Another sounded, with a group photo of several current and former students dressed in formal wear standing in front of the school's front entrance. A chuckle escaped the blue-skinned girl when she remembered how her friend Rarity had nearly panicked when several dress orders fell behind during the preparations for the anniversary Golden Ball. She looked around at a few more before her eyes fell on a more recent one, which she remembered all too well.

Strange Happenings at Canterlot High. It read. She recognized the stage, set up as though for a music concert, and the wreckage that had befallen it when the events in question had gotten through. Judging from the spot the photo had been taken from, it was by their friend Shutter Speed. Seeing it brought back memories for the athletic teen, from back during the spring semester of their sophomore year. Back when the infamous Battle of the Bands had reached its crescendo.

She remembered when the three of them took the stage, decked out in their concert gear to an audience bedeviled by their dark powers. She remembered when they pulled out all the stops and banded together to try and cast Equestrian Twilight's musical counterspell, and how the three of them had come some close to beating them finally.

That is before Sunset Shimmer stepped up and provided the boost they needed to undo the dark hate plague they had infected the school with and destroy their blood-red pendants, the source of their power. Her memory drifted back to those harrowing moments afterward, when the defeated trio bolted from the stage and into the night, and how the entire student body was prepared to basically chase them down and lynch them for what happened.

Then Sunset Shimmer stepped up again. Though physically and emotionally drained from the effort, she stood up before the enraged crowd and began to speak to them more boldly than she had in months. She spoke about how she knew how it felt to be hated and cast aside after doing something terrible. She cried out how despite her own misdeeds, Rainbow and her friends were willing to extend their friendship to her and how this friendship ultimately redeemed her and gave her the strength to help save the school. From her lips an impassioned plea sounded forth; let them have the same chance that she had been given, to embrace the magic of friendship and have a second chance to become better people.

By the end of it, Sunset was on the verge of sobbing.

And perhaps most amazingly, it worked. One after another, students stepped forward to volunteer to go find them, until it seemed at least half of the student body was soon out searching the city for any sign of the missing trio.

Rainbow herself remembered how she was the first to find any trace of them. In an alley deep in the city, she managed to find a shoe that had been worn by one of them. Which, she couldn't remember. The pigtailed one with the star barrettes? Maybe, her mind couldn't place it. She couldn't even remember their names. That is if she ever learned them. It ended up being the only trace they ever found of the missing Sirens. Sunset seemed on the verge of tears when she realized they would not be finding them, but a promise from Rainbow and the others that they would find them and extend the gift of friendship to them soothed her.

Rainbow sighed. They had been looking for them ever since. Even during the Friendship Games, she hadn't stopped thinking about where they might have gone. Some of her friends thought that they might have skipped town and gone elsewhere. Some others thought that some tragic fate might have befallen them; that they had become homeless drifters, or that they had withered away from lack of power. Rainbow wasn't the giving up type, but it had been so long since they had seen any trace of them that it was looking like her promise to Sunset might go unfilled.

She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she wouldn't have noticed the door opening had the shop bell not rung. Thinking it was Fluttershy, she looked up to greet her. She stopped when she noticed it was not Fluttershy, but a girl wearing blue jeans and, strangely for the hot summer air, a hoodie tightly drawn up around her face. It didn't quite do the job of concealing her features, however; Rainbow was still able to make out the arctic blue skin and shock of cerulean hair poking out from under the hood. Her raspberry eyes scanned around the diner, evidently looking for an empty seat before deciding on one near the entrance.

Wait, those eyes!

Rainbow felt her breath catch in her throat. Could it be? Her question was soon answered when the girl dropped her hood. There was no mistaking that high ponytail.

It was one of them, one of the Sirens. Rainbow couldn't believe her eyes. For months she and her friends had been looking for them, and now one of them had seemingly run into her. Rainbow was about to get up and say something when she noticed something else about her.

She remembered this one in particular. She had always come off as a ditz and airhead, but her eyes always seemed filled with light and her face seemingly without a smile. In a way, she was kind of like her friend Pinkie, if said girl had been evil. But now? Her face was devoid of a smile, and her eyes seemed lifeless and devoid of any spark or energy. Even on this girl, it seemed alien. A waitress came over and offered to take her order. The girl looked into her hoodie's pocket and then said something that Rainbow couldn't make out. Curious, she decided to simply sit quietly and watch for a bit.

So she sat there, watching the girl for seemingly an eternity. An order of nachos and water was soon brought to her, which seemingly went untouched, with only an occasional nibble as the girl stared off into space. Something was on her mind, Rainbow could tell. She had figured they had hit a rough patch after they had been defeated. Could something really bad have happened? And why was she alone? The whole time she watched her she never saw the other two show up. Where were they? This and other questions burned in her mind as she watched, but her questions would have to wait as she saw the shop door open up again and Fluttershy entered the diner, not seeing the blue teen sitting in the nearby booth as she waved to Rainbow.

"Hi Rainbow!" She cheerfully called. Rainbow sucked in a breath and frantically waved at her and made chopping noises at her neck. To say that Fluttershy was surprised would be an understatement. She immediately clapped her hands over her mouth, her eyes wide with surprise. Rainbow began nodded her head in the direction of the booth next to her. Taking the hint, Fluttershy took a long, and her surprise only grew.

"Eep!" She softly yelped. Thankfully the blue siren did not hear her but simply continued to pick at her food while taking an occasional nibble. Rainbow beckoned Fluttershy to come and sit down, who hastily did so.

"Is that who I think it is?" She asked. Rainbow nodded.

"Yeah, I'd recognize that face anywhere." She replied. She took a gaze at the siren, who had busied herself playing with a jalapeno pepper. "You notice anything?" Fluttershy looked at her. She too noticed the complete lack of life in her eyes.

"Something's bothering her," Fluttershy spoke up. "You think it might have something to do with what happened back at school." Rainbow nodded. A waitress soon came over.

"What can I get you?" She asked.

"I think I'll start off with a strawberry shake." Fluttershy replied.

"I'll have a funky monkey if you have it." Rainbow ordered. The waitress jotted down their orders and left. "So, what are we going to do? We promised Sunset we'd reach out to them." Fluttershy thought for a moment.

"We need to be careful. She may still be upset with us over it. Seeing us again might make it worse." She explained. She turned back. "Oh dear..."

"What is it?" Rainbow asked. She took a look where her companion was watching and her face fell at the sight. The siren's lips were starting to quiver and her eyes, though it was hard to see, were misting up. It wasn't long before she pushed her food aside and buried her face in her arms, her body shaking with quiet sobs. Both girls looked at each other, sympathy clear in their eyes.

"That kills it." Rainbow said. "Screw caution, I'm going over there." She scooched out of the booth before Fluttershy put a hand on her arm.

"I'll go with you." She explained. Rainbow nodded, and the two girls together made their way slowly over to where the siren sat. "Try to be gentle." Fluttershy advised.

"Uh, hey, what's up?" Rainbow asked as softly as she could when they approached her. The cerulean girl didn't hear them, but simply wiped the tears from her eyes. Dark streaks of mascara could be seen running down her cheeks. Fluttershy felt her own heart break at the sight. Despite what this girl had done to her and her friends, she couldn't bear to see her suffering. It was just not in her nature.

"Um, excuse me? Are you OK?" She said, giving her a gentle tap on the shoulder. The siren's sobs lessened and she finally looked up at them with one teary eye.

Both girls expected her to possibly ignore them, or tell them to go away and leave her alone. They expected her to possibly get angry at them, and Rainbow felt herself tense up a bit in case the siren decided to start swinging. They weren't expecting what actually happened.

The pupil of the lone eye suddenly contracted into a pinprick as her eye widened in shock. A muffled cry of fear escaped through her clenched jaws as she shot up and started to flail as she backed herself as far as she could into her booth, sending her water spilling. Both girls were shocked at this display. Never had they expected that one of the sirens would react with stark terror at the sight of them.

"Oh, no no no no, it's OK!" Fluttershy tried to reassure her.

"Easy, easy, easy!" Rainbow said as the siren curled up into a ball in the corner of her booth, trembling with fright with both eyes now staring at them.

"I... I'm sorry! I d-didn't know this was your diner! I'll leave! P-p-please don't b-blast me with rainbows again! I'll g-g-go!" She whimpered. Even Rainbow felt her heart ache at the sight.

"No, we're not here to kick you out or shoot rainbows at you." She tried to explain, reaching out a hand to comfort the shaking girl and causing her to flinch as though she was about to be hit. Rainbow wisely retracted it.

"You seemed upset, and we wanted to see if we could help. That's all, we promise." Fluttershy said. The siren said nothing, just looked at them with her jaws shaking and her teeth chattering in terror.

"Y-you're not?" She asked them.

"Yeah, totally. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." Rainbow did a series of bizarre motions. When the siren looked at her with confusion, she chuckled. "It's something my friend taught me. It's an unbreakable promise. If you break, you'll never be trusted again." All of them could have sworn they heard someone shouting "forrr-EEEEH-verrrr!" in the distance. The siren's eyes continued to dark back and forth between them, as though still afraid they would do something. Fluttershy thought for a moment, then gave her a warm smile.

"Um, if you want to... you can come and sit with us." She suggested. "We were just about to order lunch, and, well, I noticed the other three you're usually with aren't here, so I was thinking maybe you could use the company since you're upset." She looked over at Rainbow, who nodded.

"Yeah, totally. I'll even buy. Anything you want." She grinned. The siren lowered her head, seemingly unsure. Both girls anxiously awaited her answer, but she said nothing for a long while. Both of them looked at each other with a frown, slightly saddened that this first overture wasn't being accepted.

"Well, um... you don't have to if you don't want to. But if you change your mind, we're sitting right over here." She pointed to their booth, where the waitress had just dropped off their shakes. They turned to go back to their booth, dejected.

"W-Wait!" They turned to see the siren pick up her nachos and slowly begin to make her way out of the booth and cautiously shuffle over toward their own. Both of them brightened at the sight of this and sat down, beckoning her over. She cautiously crept over before gingerly taking a seat next to Fluttershy, who was beaming her warmest smile at her. The waitress soon returned, surprised to see that she had joined them. Luckily she had an extra menu with her.

"If you three are ready to order, I can ahead and take that." She said. The siren was hesitant at first, but a gentle coaxing from Fluttershy convinced her to open her own menu.

"I'll have my usual." Rainbow ordered.

"A garlic butter steak burger with lettuce and tomato, double order of fries." The waitress replied with a smile.

"I'll try the turkey burger with mayonnaise and the usual fixings, please?" Fluttershy, ever the demure and polite girl, asked. She then turned to the siren, who looked between her, the menu and her companions anxiously.

"It's OK. Get whatever you want." Fluttershy said. "Cost is no issue." She took a few more moments to look over the menu and study their gazes before giving a soft sigh.

"I'll... just have what she's having." The blue-haired girl said, gesturing toward Rainbow. "With a r-root beer float, please?" She sunk down in her seat a bit. The two Wondercolts frowned a bit, but said nothing while the waitress was there.

"I'm sure we can swing that." The waitress said with a soft smile before taking their menus and heading back with their orders.

An eternity of awkward silence passed, it seemed. All three girls looked at each other, unsure of who should speak first. Rainbow kept looking back between the siren and Fluttershy, as though looking for advice on what to say. They could feel the awkwardness deep in their bones. Finally, it was Fluttershy who broke the silence.

"So, um, why don't we introduce ourselves?" She suggested. Rainbow slapped her own forehead and mouthed "why didn't I think of that". Fluttershy gave a soft giggle. "I'll go first. I'm..."

"Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash." The siren finished for her. Both girls looked at each other. "The others... we learned your names from them." She explained to them. Fluttershy smiled at that.

"Oh, OK." She said.

"So, what's yours?" Rainbow asked the siren. She looked away from her for a bit, as though unsure if she should answer.

"S-Sonata Dusk." She replied, brushing a bit of her cerulean hair out of her face. "My sisters are Aria Blaze and Adagio Dazzle."

"Sisters?" The two girls asked.

"Mmhmm." She said. Fluttershy beamed.

"Oh, those are such pretty names!" She said with light "squee" and a light in her eyes. Sonata stared back at her in confusion.

"You... think so? For realzies?" She asked, her face betraying a sense of being dumbfounded that they could ever think such a thing. The two girls weren't slow to pick it up and both offered reassuring smiles.

"Oh heck yeah! I know my friend Rarity would love 'em! She's big on that fancy schmancy stuff." Rainbow replied with a friendly slap on the shoulder. Sonata winced a bit at the sudden contact but managed a small smile after a few moments of contemplation. Fluttershy beamed in response.

"And what about you and the others?" She asked, "How have you been?" Sonata's smile faded a bit, and she lowered her head to look at the table.

"They've been... OK." She said, rubbing her arm in a manner that displayed her sudden increase in discomfort.

"Just OK?" Rainbow followed with a look of sympathy. Sonata nodded.

"I mean, I can't complain," she said. "We have a place to live, and food to eat. It's near the city center, I think."

"You mean the public apartments near Bridle?" Rainbow asked. Sonata gave an affirmative nod. Fluttershy's face bore a concerned expression. The public apartments were mostly used by low-income families and weren't the best equipped and furnished places in the city. She had also heard rumors that crime was high in those areas and that robberies and even assaults were common. She said a silent prayer that Sonata and her sisters were safe in their home.

"And where are they now?" She asked.

"They're at work." Sonata replied. She pointed out the window toward the downtown area. "Ari works at a record shop over there. Adagio got a job at a hotel. I think she works in front? It's not a whole lot, but it keeps us comfortable, for the most part." Both Canterlot High girls looked at each other with a look of relief at hearing that the three of them had managed to find a home and a living.

"What do you do?" Rainbow asked, after inwardly sighing in relief. Sonata shook her head with a sad sigh.

"I... don't have a job. I tried to find one, but nobody's really hiring at the moment, at least nobody that would take in on a girl who looks like she's still in high school." She noticed that their expressions had fallen again. "But it's OK. They leave me a little bit of money so I can still go around and do... well, stuff. Today I went to the Canterlot Zoo." Fluttershy's expression brightened right back up.

"You mean the big new one that just opened downtown?" She asked. Sonata managed another small smile and nodded in the affirmative. Fluttershy gave a soft squee. "Ooooh, I've been wanting to go to that one for a while now! I hear it's so amazing, they even have dolphins. Ooh, I love dolphins!" Rainbow chuckled but quickly stopped when she noticed that Sonata's expression had not changed. Fluttershy noticed this too and briefly cleared her throat.

"You'll have to forgive her, she gets really excited when it comes to animals. I keep telling her she should look into being a vet or something." Rainbow explained. "So... are you OK? And I don't just mean money wise or housing wise." Sonata fidgeted nervously.

"Um, why do you ask?" Fluttershy looked her straight in the eyes.

"Because we noticed that you were crying back at your booth. Is something bothering you?" She asked with a voice filled with compassion. Sonata gulped and started to look away, rubbing her arms and curling her knees up to her chest.

"I... I don't want to talk about it." She said quickly. Both girls looked at her with their warmest smiles.

"We're only trying to help," Fluttershy said. "If there's something bothering you, talking about it can help. If we can help you feel better, we'd like to try." Sonata's response was only to grimace and tear up again, her grip on her sides getting tighter.

"Can you p-p-please stop asking me?" She asked, her voice cracking. Fearing that she was about to have another breakdown, Rainbow calmly motioned for Fluttershy not to question her on the topic any further.

"Hey, hey, it's alright?" Rainbow said. "If you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to." Fluttershy put a soothing hand on Sonata's knee, smiling at her. It seemed to work as she began to calm down, but now the mood was even tenser than it had been. By now their food had been brought out, but nobody seemed very interested in eating. Sonata just stared at her own, while the other two just stared at her. Both of them feared that they had made a mistake in broaching such an obviously painful topic with her. The silence seemed to pass between them for an eternity before finally, a soft chortle began to rise to a chuckle. Fluttershy was surprised to see her friend laughing. Sonata just looked at her in confusion.

"Um, huh?" She asked.

"What's funny?" Fluttershy followed. Rainbow stopped chuckling for a brief moment.

"Sorry, I was just thinking of something funny." She explained. "Remember the time that Applejack fell in the pig pen and got covered in gunge?" She asked. Fluttershy wracked her memory for a bit, and in spite of herself felt a gentle chortle begin to emerge from her own being.

"Oh, that was kind of silly wasn't it?" She asked, covering her mouth as she giggled. "Or how about the time that Sweetie Belle put green dye in Rarity's shampoo? I think it was the last slumber party we had at her house." Rainbow's chuckles became outright belly laughs.

"Oh, heck yeah! I think she chased her halfway down the block screaming bloody murder. I think I counted at least a half-dozen swear words too." She laughed. "Oh hey, how about the time Sunset got super-excited at the movies and neighed? You should've seen that one, Sonata. I mean she literally horse-whinnied." Fluttershy was by now snorting in between giggles and if she hadn't been gripping the table, Rainbow would have fallen out of her seat.

Fluttershy was the first to notice it. Sonata's confused expression soon began to be replaced as the smallest of smiles began to creep across her features, before a gentle giggle was heard. Fluttershy motioned for Rainbow to look at it, and mouthed "keep going" at her.

"So, you got any funny stories?" The athlete asked her. Sonata put her finger in front of her mouth in thought.

"Well, there was one time that Dagi found out she had a zit on her nose." She said. "She locked herself in her room for about three days and just cursed fate for 'bestowing such a blemish upon her perfect features'."

"Three days?" Rainbow asked with a chuckle. "Oh man, even Rarity didn't do that when she got a zit, and it was just a tiny one." Sonata gave another brief giggle.

"And there was the time that Aria tore her pants in the middle of the mall when we first came here," Sonata said, snickering. Rainbow Dash was by now laughing so hard that she was wheezing, and Fluttershy was clutching her sides. "And, there was the time we were rehearsing for the Battle of the Bands. There was this hole near the edge of the stage and Dagi somehow managed to get her heel caught in it just as we were getting to the chorus of 'Under our Spell', and down she went." She capped off her explanation with a slap to the table a fake explosion noise. Fluttershy stopped laughing.

"Oh dear, was she OK?" She asked. Sonata nodded.

"Yeah, she managed to flip over and land on my lunch that I had forgotten I put near the stage. It broke her fall." Rainbow laughed so hard she started to cough and sputter in between guffaws.

"She landed butt first on tacos!?" She said between laughs. "Oh man! That beats all of us by a mile!" Fluttershy went back to clutching her sides while giggling up a hurricane. Even Sonata got a few laughs at the memory. It had been one of her favorites from an otherwise unpleasant series of memories.

A few more funny stories, belly laughs (and a threatened spurge of shake from Rainbow's nose) later, and all three girls were now smiling. Sonata, for her part, looked like she had completely forgotten her earlier troubles. Though she remained mostly silent, her newfound smile never left her face as she listened to Fluttershy and Rainbow chat about their summer thus far. Their fellowship was soon interrupted when Rainbow's phone dinged.

"Must be AJ." She said, taking a look. "Yep, I'd better get going. I promised I'd help set up for band practice." She polished off the rest of her food while the others followed suit. True to their word, the two girls paid Sonata's meal in its entirety. The siren couldn't help but feel a surge of warmth in her chest as they left the diner. Rainbow mounted her curb parked cruiser motorcycle, decked out true to form with blue paint and rainbow lightning bolt patterns. Sonata couldn't help but give an admiring glance at it as Rainbow helmeted up and kicked the engine to life. "Cya later, Flutters!" She called out before shifting into gear and taking off down the road with a wave. Fluttershy waved back until she was out of sight before turning back to her companion and noticing her stifling a yawn. She put a comforting hand on Sonata's shoulder.

"Would you like a ride home?" She asked. Sonata looked at her with an expression of surprise. She had already paid for her food and offered her a seat at their table. Surely that was enough, right?

"Oh, it's OK." She said. "It's only a few blocks. I can manage. You don't have to go out of your way again." She yawned yet again, her eyes beginning to droop slightly. Fluttershy frowned.

"Sonata, you're tired, dead on your feet in fact. It wouldn't feel right to let you exhaust yourself further." She said, taking Sonata's hand and giving it an affectionate squeeze. "Please?" Sonata looked into Fluttershy's eyes, seeing nothing but care and concern. She was actually worried for her well-being enough to offer this to her. How could she say no?

"I... OK." She said. "It's not far, I can direct." Fluttershy smiled warmly before gesturing to a nearby hybrid hatchback. Both girls climbed in and Fluttershy started the motor before allowing Sonata to select the radio station she wanted. Picking a lively pop radio station, Fluttershy complimented her on her choice before they were both off, Sonata giving directions.

Except for her turn directions, the youngest siren was deep in thought. She was with one of the Rainbooms, one of the seven girls she had been ready to crush under her boot just months ago just for trying to stop her. And yet, here she was, not only paying for a meal and inviting her to sit with her, but she was driving her back home. It was like the Battle of the Bands had never happened. But how? Weren't they supposed to hate her, or want to see her punished? Nobody would have blamed the seven if they had cursed them with their fullest fury, and indeed they probably would have joined in.

This just didn't make any sense.

She was soon brought out of her pensive reverie when she spotted a familiar building coming into view. "There, on the right." She said. Fluttershy changed lanes just in time to make the turn to park in front of what turned out to be a rather cozy looking apartment, despite clearly being low-income.

"It looks nice." She said with a smile. Sonata gave her an appreciative nod before they both got out of the car and stood before the front entrance. "Well, it was nice to see you again. Have a good day Sonata." She said, before turning to get back into her car. However, a voice soon stopped her.

"Wait! Why?" She turned to see Sonata looking at her. Her arms were clutching her sides and her knees were knocked in. The expression on her face was a mixture of confusion and a seemingly returned sadness.

"Why what?" Fluttershy asked her, cocking her head slightly.

"Why are you doing all this? I mean, you bought me lunch and let me sit with you, and you drove me back home and... you've just been so nice to me. Why?" Fluttershy walked up to her and gave the surprised siren a hug.

"Because that's what friends do for each other." She said matter-of-factly, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. Sonata's eyes went wide, and she felt her heart skip a beat. She gently pulled away and looked Fluttershy dead in the eye.

"F-Friend?" She asked in a small voice. Fluttershy nodded.

"Yes. I know... that we didn't leave on the best of terms the last time we saw each other, but still, I... I would like to be your friend." Sonata's jaw dropped, unable to comprehend what she was hearing. "Friends are there for each other and help each other when they need it. In fact... do you have a phone?" Sonata nodded and produced a small smartphone from her hoodie pocket. Fluttershy gently took it and started typing away.

"Um..." She started, but Fluttershy flashed her a reassuring look.

"I'm just adding me and Rainbow to your contacts. I'm sure that she won't mind." Her look then became more solemn. "I understand that you didn't want to talk about what was bothering you before, but I'm still a phone call away if you ever change your mind. Whatever it is, I'll help you, as your friend." She smiled and gave her one last hug before handing her phone back to her and walking to her car.

"Um... thank you." Sonata managed to get out.

"You're most welcome," Fluttershy said. "And remember, I'm just a phone call or a text away. Anytime you need someone to talk to." She got into her car, powered up the motor and pulled away, taking a moment to wave at the siren one last time. Completely speechless, Sonata waved back before turning around and entering the lobby. A short elevator ride later and she was back in her apartment. It was a homely place, wallpapered a light cream with red carpeting and modest furniture; a sofa, recliner, and kitchen set with refrigerator and microwave. Sonata took off her hoodie to reveal a faded pink tank top and sat down on the brown sofa across from a small television set, staring at her knees.

She thought about meeting the two Rainbooms, and everything they did for her. She thought about Fluttershy's words to her, and her friendly embrace and kindly demeanor toward her. She looked at her entry in her contacts and thought about her telling her she was there for her, like a friend.

Friend...

She... she wants to be my friend....

After everything I did to her.... she wants to be my... my...

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sting of tears filling her eyes as more sobs began to wrack her body. So much kindness... directed at someone they should hate... but they didn't hate her. They cared about her. They wanted her to be a part of their circle.

She finally broke down into loud sobs, so moved was she. Nobody had ever shown her such kindness, much less offered her friendship. It just didn't seem real, but it was happening.

She wasn't sure how long she cried, but when she finally had no tears left to shed, her sobs lessened and she wiped her cheeks and eyes. She took several deep breaths to calm herself before she noticed her eyes begin to droop closed. Fluttershy had been right, she was dead on her feet. Not bothering to take her shoes off, she allowed herself to lie down on the sofa and slowly drift off into a slumber, her last conscious thought being on Fluttershy's smiling, warm face.

Author's Note

Honestly, this probably isn't one of my strongest stories. In fact, I'd probably consider it my weakest. Still, it's one I've had in my head for a while now, and I wanted to put it to paper, so to speak.

So, I hope you enjoy this first chapter. There will be more to come. :twilightsmile:

Signs in the Night

Chapter Two: Signs in the Night

Rainbow wasn't sure how long she had been riding for. Truth be told, she had lost track of the minutes pretty much the moment she had left the diner. The only thoughts that coursed through her mind at the moment where of what had just transpired. Months of searching and one of the Sirens had practically fallen into their lap. They had both been hoping for and worrying about this moment for a long time. Dash knew that she had to tell the others when she got to Sweet Apple Acres, but a part of her couldn't help but worry. She knew that Fluttershy was more than willing to reach out. Pinkie Pie would want nothing more than to bake them a huge tray of sweets and throw them a shindig that they could only dream of; she never missed the opportunity to make a new friend. But what about the others? Sunset she knew would be thrilled, and Twilight was a wild card, but part of her worried about Rarity and Applejack. Sure they were more than friendly enough, but would they still be willing?

She shook those thoughts from her head. She would cross that bridge when she got to it, and the scent of ripe apples now beginning to waft into her nose told her the bridge was coming soon.

She gently applied to brake as she turned down the dirt road that led up to the Apple family's estate. She took a deep breath of the smell of freshly-baked apple pie as the farmhouse loomed into view before sliding expertly into place next to Big Macintosh's truck. Taking off her helmet, she spotted some familiar vehicles; Rarity's elegant looking luxury car, a cotton candy pink Vespa that could only belong to Pinkie Pie, a light blue Beetle she recognized as belonging to Photo Finish, and finally a red, yellow and orange cruiser motorcycle Sunset Shimmer often took around town.

"Gang's all here," she said. "Here it goes." It was a short walk to the barn where they said they would be holding practice, and sure enough the first thing she heard when she got down there was voices... and music? Curious, Dash opened the door gently.

The scene before her surprised even her. Sure enough, there were her friends, but all of them, with the exception of Twilight, were dressed in various fancy looking outfits that Rarity must have designed. The spectacled girl herself had seemingly been press-ganged into being Photo's assistant for the day, handing her film canisters for her SLR camera. A nearby boom box played a tune that wouldn't be out of place on a fashion show catwalk. All of her friends were striking various poses with smiles on their faces... with the except of Applejack, who was wearing a ridiculous looking pink and green ensemble and had her hair done up in the fanciest style Rainbow had ever seen on the girl. The scowl on the face of the aforementioned girl made it clear that she wished she was anywhere else but that barn right now.

"No, no no no no neiiiiiinnnn! Shouted Photo as she grabbed her hair and let loose a frustrated groan. "Applejack, you are not feeling it! You must feel it in your bones!" She ranted, causing Rainbow to snicker.

"Aww, go easy on her, cuz." A male voice sounded off to the side. A grin came to Rainbow's face when she turned to look. Loading a lens onto his DSLR was a male on the thinner side with cream-colored skin and scraggly black hair dressed in faded jeans ripped at the knee and a black hoodie with a camera aperture symbol on it. He stared at the world with bright orange eyes. Next to him, handing him camera gear from a messenger bag, was a young girl around seven or eight with straw blonde hair, green eyes and peach skin dressed in a yellow sundress and green sandals. Shutter Speed and his little sister Shutterbug, Photo's cousins and longtime photoshoot partners. Shutter slapped his trusty "nifty fifty" lens onto his camera and began snapping away, the shutter sounding for all intents and purposes like a very silent machine gun.

"Sup, Speedy?" Rainbow asked, finally drawing everyone's attention toward the new arrival. Shutter speed flashed her a thumbs up as the rest of her friends smiled and came over to greet her. Pinkie Pie, as was her custom, charged over and latched onto her friend with a fierce hug, causing Rarity to gasp in horror at the fancy dressed she had gotten her to wear got wrinkled from the sudden contact.

"Bout time you showed up." Applejack said in mock disapproval. Her grin gave her true feelings away. "Get lost, or forget your geode?" Rainbow rolled her eyes.

"Very funny." She said. "Actually, I need to talk to you guys." She took another look at Photo, Shutter, and Buggy, as they had come to know her. "Alone." She gave them a look that said no arguments were going to be heard. Both Photo and Shutter seemed to get the picture.

"Ah, Photo Finish was in need of a caffeine boost anyway." She said. "I go!" She posed dramatically with her finger pointed skyward before walking out, her cousins in tow. Once the coast was clear, Rainbow sighed.

"You seem bothered." Rarity said. "And if I may ask, where is Fluttershy."

"Did you find out that a new cake recipe you really, really wanted to try was really, really nasty?" Pinkie asked, her expression turning to horror. "What kind of monster would ruin caaaaake!" The other's winced at her sudden outburst.

"Why don't we let her explain." Applejack suggested. Rainbow sighed again. It was now or never.

"Cake has nothing to do with it." She explained. "But something big has come up. Fluttershy and I went to Tom's for lunch before coming here, and we... we found one of them." The others looked confused.

"One of who, exactly?" Sunset asked, taking off the fancy shawl that Rarity had gotten her to model.

"One of the Dazzlings." Rainbow said, deciding against using "siren". Sunset's eyes snapped wide open.

"Y-you did? Are they alright?" She put and hand on Rainbow's shoulder.

"Um, who are the Dazzlings?" Twilight asked. They forgot that she was still catching up on all their antics.

"Remember those singing sea critters from Equestria we told you about?" Applejack said. At Twilight's affirmative nod, Applejack nodded back.

"Ah." She said, her eyes wide.

"To answer Sunset's question, Sonata Dusk, that's her name, said they were, but..." She paused and then motioned for them to sit down. Rarity started to fuss when they went to sit on the nearby hay bales, but a "this is not the time" glare from Rainbow shut that down quickly, though the fashionista remained standing. "It was more like she found us, rather. She came in and sat by herself, and it was pretty clear something was bugging her."

"How do you know?" Twilight asked.

"Because she started crying after a while." Pinkie Pie gasped audibly at hearing that.

"Where is she!? I need to deliver a dozen 'cheer up it's gonna be OK' cupcakes!" She cried. Rainbow chuckled. Her friend didn't have an unforgiving bone in her body.

"Fluttershy went to take her home after we bought her lunch. That's why she's not here." She explained.

"You... reached out to her?" Sunset asked, her voice cracking, whether it was hearing that Sonata was in some kind of pain or simply from hearing that they had finally been found Rainbow couldn't tell.

"Duh, we made a promise, didn't we?" Rainbow said.

"And I will assume you wanted to see if we were still willing?" Rarity questioned. Rainbow nodded in response.

"Yeah." She explained. Pinkie Pie yipped in excitement.

"You can count me in!" She said, pumping her fist in the air. "Making friends out of meanies is my passion these days! Uh, no offense girls." She sheepishly looked at Twilight and Sunset.

"None taken." They both said with a giggle. The sudden sound of a throat clearing caught all their attention and led them to focus on Applejack, who bore a sheepish look.

"Something wrong, AJ?" Rainbow asked. Applejack shuffled her feet a bit before answering.

"It's just... this is gonna sound so wrong with Sunset and Twilight in here and all, but I can't help but wonder if all this is a good idea. I mean... sure Sunset was willing to turn over a new leaf, but them? The first thing they did after getting hit with the ol' Friendship Cannon was bolt for it. Sunset might have been willing to turn over a new leaf, but can we be so sure they will?" Sunset looked visibly hurt by this. Applejack was a paragon of honesty. Sunset couldn't believe that she seemed to be on the verge of breaking a promise.

"I do hate to agree, but from what you guys told me, it sounds like trying to befriend them might be a huge risk," Twilight added. "Can we trust them not to turn on us?" Pinkie's hair somehow managed to deflate like a balloon that had lost its air.

"But guys, we promised!" She whined. "And besides, how can we even know they'll accept our friendship if we don't even offer it! You can't expect someone to take a second chance if you don't even give it to them!" She sounded on the verge of tears, her baby blue eyes shimmering like water. Applejack sighed, guilt visible on her face.

"I know, but... I dunno, I just got a bad feeling about this, is all." She said. Sunset placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Believe me, I can understand." She explained. "Knowing what they did, it is hard to trust them. I'm honestly surprised that you managed to do so when the Princess wasn't around. But if you guys hadn't had trusted me, I wouldn't be where I am today. The friendship you guys shared with me changed me for the better. I think it can with them too if they're willing to accept it. And from what Rainbow told me, it seems at least one. Maybe she can bring the others around? Who knows?" She then flinched when Pinkie's hair suddenly exploded back into its usual cotton candy poof.

"Yeah! Like in that movie with the talking cabbages! Or was it talking carrots? Or potatoes?" Pinkie scratched her chin in thought. "You know, the one where the one vegetable guy got swallowed by some sea monster and had to learn a lesson about giving people second chances?" The others rolled their eyes.

"Only you would like a movie with talking food items in it, Pinks," Rainbow said. Pinkie huffed.

"Oh yeah? I seem to recall you seeing that movie with the talking hot dog that swore a lot and made really dirty jokes and..." Rainbow slapped a hand over her mouth and an angry look.

"Anyway!" Rarity called out. "I do believe Sunset is right, Applejack. Giving someone a second chance after doing something as awful as they did is a big risk, but it's the right thing to do. We were willing to do so with not only Sunset and Twilight but also Juniper and the entirety of Crystal Prep. As big a risk as it is, the rewards are even greater." Applejack smiled a bit.

"And it sure worked out, didn't it?" She asked. Her friends all answered in the affirmative. "Alright, I'll throw my chips in. But what are we gonna do? I don't think we can just waltz up to their house and just say 'hi wanna be friends?' They probably ain't too keen on seeing us."

"True enough," Sunset said. "We should probably plan this out when Fluttershy gets here." The others nodded. Sunset couldn't help but feel a warmth course through her being. She just prayed that it was all going to work out.

***

Sonata's eye slowly fluttered open, taking in the bubblegum pink walls of her bedroom. By now, the sun had started to fully set, leaving only what the photographers who lived next door would call the "blue hour", although she had no idea what they meant and never bothered to ask. She sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes and staggered out of her bed toward their shared bathroom. She ran some warm water and splashed it on her face to clean it. She grabbed a towel and dried it off, sighing in contentment before letting it drop to the floor. It was then that her ears were filled with the faint sound of a female voice humming. It was a tune she was very familiar with. The cafeteria when they first came to Canterlot High?

"Huh? Who is that?" She asked. "Ari? Dagi? Is that you?" The already soft singing faded away, leaving her looking around confused until her gaze fell back to the bathroom mirror.

Her reflection was still hunched over the sink.

Sonata suddenly felt something come over her. It was an icy feeling in the pit of her stomach. She felt her breath begin to quicken and her hands grip the edge of the sink tighter as she watched the image before slowly beginning to look up. "Her" bangs hung over her eyes, but there was no mistaking the sinister smile that spread out across her face as the image began to warp, a familiar pair of red fin-like wings sprouting from her back with a sickening crunching sound and her teeth twisting into shark-like forms. The eyes slowly opened, and Sonata felt her blood chill to ice at the sight of a sickly, blood-red glow, which made the already psychotic-looking smile look even more horrifying. She finally managed to scream at the sight and tried to turn and run, only for a hand to reach out from the mirror and grab her by the throat, cutting her off in the middle of her terrified cries. The figure laughed sadistically as she pulled Sonata toward the mirror, the siren desperately gripping the edge of the sink until her knuckles turned white.

"No! Let me go!" She managed to hoarsely cry out, but to no avail, as a second grabbed her and managed to pull her headfirst into the mirror, the sound of breaking glass echoing in her ears and a blinding flash of light filling her vision.

When she finally managed to open her eyes, she saw herself dressed as she was during the Battle of Bands, standing in the middle of the same auditorium, prepared for a concert. She felt the heat of the stage lights and heard the sound of angry shouting. She gazed out over the audience to see them jeering at some very familiar figures. The Rainbooms, wading off through the crowd, their bodies hunched over in defeat. The crowd hooted, jeered and hurled just about every ugly insult that had ever been conceived at them. Three of them, in particular, looked more outraged than the others; three freshman girls. She had seen them before. A couple of them were related to some of the Rainbooms. One of them, an orange girl with feather-like hair, charged out and angrily pointed at Rainbow Dash.

"Thanks a lot, Rainbow!" She shouted with pure venom. "Now my friends and I will never become famous rock stars like we were destined to be, and it's all your fault!"

"Y'all are the worst sisters who ever lived!" Shouted another yellow-skinned girl, her red hair seeming to stand on edge from pure rage.

"I hate you, Rarity!" A white-skinned girl screamed, stomping her foot in rage. Each word they shouted was like a dagger straight into Sonata's heart. Hearing it filled her eyes with stinging tears and caused her to cover her ears and shake barely repressed sobs.

"No! Please stop!" Sonata begged, shaking her head in a desperate but fruitless attempt to make the ugly words cease.

"What's the matter, Sonata?" An evil sounding voice sounded from the air around her. Isn't this what you wanted?" The last words were punctuated with a vicious laugh. Before Sonata's horrified eyes, the green fog began to swirl around and creep toward the blood-red pendant she wore. Gasping as the sickly-looking fog crept toward it, she started to slap and claw at it to try and stop it from seeping into the pendant, begging for it to end, but to no avail.

She remembered feeding on negative emotions before. She remembered the sweet taste that it left in her mouth, and the feeling of power it gave her. It was something she had come to crave as a siren, relishing the power boost it gave her. But here, as the sickly vapor pierced the pendant, she tasted only bile and bitterness and felt only nausea and weakness. Gagging, she collapsed to her knees, desperately fighting the urge to vomit.

"Please, make it stop." She gurgled as bile rushed up through her throat and spilled out onto the stage. It was by then that she noticed something.

The shouting was gone. She was seemingly alone on the stage, her only company being the inky blackness beyond and the stink of the vomit. Her eyes flooded with tears, she looked around.

"Dagi! Ari! Where are you!" She cried. The only reply was the echo of her voice. "Somebody, anybody! Please, answer me!" She started to sob even harder than before. "Please..."

CRACK

"Aaah!" She screamed. Before her eyes, the stage started to crack and split before splintering and breaking apart. "Oh no no no no!" She cried as the stage began to fall away and the earth shook violently. "Nooo!" She tried to run off the stage, only for it to fall away from under her feet into the earth below. Somehow, she managed to grab a nearby rock that jutted out from the dirt, and she felt something hot forming beneath her. Her eyes widened when she saw a pool of fire shooting up from the earth.

"Aaaaaaahhhh! Noooo!" The rock she held on to began to slowly slip out from the dirt. "No! Please, no! Somebody help me! Don't let me fall! Please!"

"Sonata!" She knew that voice! She looked up to see none other than Fluttershy looking down at her, reaching a hand out to her. "Take my hand! It's going to be OK! I've got you!" Sonata shivered with fear.

"I'm scared!" She cried. Fluttershy smiled reassuringly at her.

"I won't let you fall!" She called down to her. Sonata looked at her offered hand, torn between fear of falling and desperation to get out of her situation. She slowly reached up, pushing herself up on the rock to reach Fluttershy, only for it to slip some more. With a yelp of fear, she grabbed onto it.

"Just reach!" Fluttershy called down to her.

"You can do it!" Another voice called. Rainbow Dash came into view over the ledge, beckoning her to reach up. "You got this!"

"Come on, sugarcube!" The stetson wearing bass player came into, gripped her hat to keep it from falling into the flames. She too wore a warm smile.

"We've got you, darling!" Another Rainboom, with wavy purple hair, popped up behind the bass player. Sonata couldn't help but notice the twinkling of her diamond pendant.

"You gotta reach up, or I would have baked these cupcakes for nothing!" The wild-haired pink one cried, jumping up and down behind her friends with a tray of the aforementioned treats in her hands. "Sonata! Sonata! Sonata!" She cheered.

"Please, trust us!" Sonata knew that voice very well. She saw Sunset's visage, her red and yellow hair seemingly glowing in the light of the flames. "Please! Reach!" Sonata could swear she saw tears in her silently pleading eyes. She took a deep breath and steeled herself before giving a grunt and thrusting herself upon the rock, which finally slipped free of the dirt. But Fluttershy's hand reached her first, gripped as tight as she could before grunting and pulling the azure-haired siren up. Sonata's feet clawed at the dirt as Fluttershy was joined by her friends, and with one mighty pull, they brought her up the side and onto solid ground. Sonata was immediately brought into the Rainbooms' warm embrace. Sonata felt all the fear, horror and sadness leave her, and the world was finally peaceful.

***

Sonata's eye shot open. A quick gaze around revealed the sparse contents of their living room. The TV was off, but she could see a tiny amount of glow on it. Adagio must have finally gotten home and watched her nighttime shows before going to bed. The sight of the reclining chair moved over to give a better view of the TV showed this assumption to be true. She sat up on the couch to see that a blanket had been thrown over her, most likely Adagio's doing. She gently cast it aside and sat up, reflecting on what had happened.

It was like all the previous times she had had this dream, until the end, when she saw the smiling faces of the Rainbooms looking down at her, beckoning her to reach up to them. Why was it so this time? Because of her meeting with Fluttershy and Rainbow? Was this some sort of sign? Was her mind trying to tell her something?

A growl from her stomach interrupted her thoughts. It was almost nine o' clock. Her sisters must have let her sleep through dinner. She stood up and popped her back before heading into the kitchen. The first thing she noticed was a note taped to the fridge.

Sonata,

I brought dinner home. You were asleep so I left it in the fridge if you want it. The place was out of tacos, so I had to get a burrito instead. Sorry.

Aria

It was the characteristic Aria, blunt and to the point. Still, it was nice of her to bring dinner home for her. She opened the fridge and pulled out the foil-wrapped meal. Pulling off the foil revealed a burrito stuffed with all her favorites; brown rice, beans, shredded beef, cheese, lettuce, salsa and extra sour cream. She felt a small smile creep across her features.

"Thanks, Ari." She said, placing it on a plate and setting in the microwave to heat up. The machine whirred as the smell of food filled the kitchen. Sonata waited patiently before the timer went off and she pulled the now hot burrito from the fridge. Her first bite filled her mouth with all her favorite flavors. It was a temporary reprieve from her thoughts, and she soon wolfed down her food and cleaned her plate off.

The hallway leading to their bathroom was dark. Her sisters must have been asleep, as they usually were not long after they got home from work, and Sonata made sure to make as little noise as possible as she walked toward their bathroom for a much-needed shower to relax before she turned in herself. Despite a hot meal, tiredness still lingered, along with questions still swirling in her head from her latest dream. Was her mind trying to tell her that she needed to trust the Rainbooms? Sure, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash seemed willing... but the others? She felt an icy nervous feeling in her gut thinking about what might actually happen...

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard something coming from Aria's room. As per usual, her door was open; she never bothered to close it like Adagio did. Sonata deigned to peek in. The light from that evening's moon was just enough to shine on Aria's bed, onto the aforementioned siren's sleeping form. Her back was to the door and she was curled up in a fetal position, her long hair out of its pigtails and spilling out over the side of the bed like a violet waterfall. Her body fidgeted slightly and small moans or sighs escaped her lips. It would appear that Sonata would not be the only one dreaming tonight.

"I hope it's a good one," Sonata whispered, before turning to head to the bathroom and the waiting shower. But another sound stopped her before she could continue. Aria began to whimper, clutching the covers closer to her. Sonata, suddenly worried, peeked her head into the room. Aria began to shudder.

"M... m-mama... mama," She said, with a soft voice bordering on crying. "Please..." She began to stir as wakefulness started making its return. In a flash, Sonata was by her side, one hand on her sister's shoulder while the other began to rub her back gently. She had practiced this many times, and it wasn't long before the middle siren sister began to calm down, her breathing once again becoming soft. Soon, she was once again fast asleep, though now Sonata could see a small tear in the corner of her eye.

Sonata's heart ached. For as long as they had been banished to this world, neither she nor Aria had particularly gotten along, yet Aria was still her sister and the only family she had here, and possibly the only kin she had left. Despite her own sufferings, seeing her sister suffer felt even worse. If there was anything she still could honestly say she loved during that time, it was her sisters, and it still was. She gently rubbed her sister's shoulder, even gently humming an old song, off key as it was.

Then her thoughts came back to her dream, and on the events that had transpired that day. And in the darkness, it finally hit her.

She knew what she had to. They couldn't keep going like this, and Sonata was sure there was only one way to help them. She had never been a big believer in signs or omens, but the more she thought, the more sense it made. Gently giving her sister a peck on the head, she raced to the living room and checked her phone. She had just enough battery left for one call, and she knew who it had to be.

She opened her contacts app and scrolled through it until she found the number. She hovered her thumb over it, hesitation hitting her for just a second before she brought it down on the name. She didn't pay attention to how many rings it was before the other person picked up, but she didn't really care.

The time had come.

"Hello, Flutterhy?" She said. "It's Sonata. Listen, I know it's late but... I think I'm ready to talk now."

Out from Darkness

Chapter Three: Out from Darkness

Being the late hour that it was, the local animal shelter was closed and dark, but being a regular and trusted volunteer had netted Fluttershy access to a spare key. Sliding it into the lock and hearing the familiar click, she gently opened the door and entered the darkened shop as quietly as she could to avoid waking the sleeping animals within. Thankfully, the doors leading to the animal housing areas were closed and shades covered the viewing windows, so turning on the main entranceway light was not disturbing to them. Fluttershy knew she would have to explain why she was entering the premises so late after closing time, but her supervisor was always understanding and would not have any issue with what she was about to do.

At least, she hoped so in this case.

She didn't have to wait long for her visitor to show up. Thankfully, the animal shelter wasn't a long walk from the downtown apartments where Sonata lived. When Fluttershy spotted her walking up, her hood pulled up tight around her face, she waved to her from behind the glass door and beckoned for her to come in. Sonata looked around a few times before gently pushing the door open and entering. Finally able to let her hood down, she took a seat next to Fluttershy near the front desk.

"This is kind of a strange place to meet." She said. "I figured you'd want me to come to your house." She said.

"I thought it might be easier for you here. Not many people come around this part of town late a night, and it's not very far from your house." Fluttershy explained. "So, do you feel up to talking about today? I'm sorry if I'm prying, but I really do want to help you, if I can." She placed a comforting hand on the siren's shoulder, who began to rub her hands together between her knees.

"Before I do that, I should give you a little... background. Do you know where us Sirens came from?" She asked. Fluttershy was a bit taken aback by the question, but she managed to keep a smile on her face.

"Equestria, right?" Sonata shook her head.

"That's not what I meant. Do you know how we came to be?" Fluttershy shook her head no. "Well.. we weren't always like this. We used to be creatures called seaponies." Fluttershy shifted her weight in her chair while she listened.

"We lived in the Great Southern Ocean, my family and I," Sonata continued, a small smile coming to her face as she recalled these fond memories. "We had this little cove on this island off the coast. The was warm and had this beautiful azure color. The reef was so bright and colorful it was like an underwater rainbow. My sisters and I would spend days upon days just swimming around and playing fin tag among the fishies."

"It sounds lovely," Fluttershy replied, clasping her hands and motioning for her to continue.

"It sure was. Anyway, seaponies like we... like we were... we also had magic just like the unicorns did, but we controlled it with our voices instead of our brains. That's why we were able to... use our powers by singing those songs. We would channel it through our vocal cords by these special pearls we wore on our necks," Her hand instinctively reached up and rubbed the naked spot on her neck. "Most of us got our magical voices when turned thirteen, but my sisters and I... our voices were weak, and try as we might we could never get our magic to work right. Our voices sounded awful too." Fluttershy shifted over and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"That must have been hard." She said soothingly.

"Totally. The other foals were always making fun of us, saying we sounded like dying whales, that we'd never be able to use magic. Dagi never let on, but it really hurt her, especially when she saw either me or Ari upset about it. She always considered herself responsible for us because she was the oldest sister." Fluttershy rubbed her back. "Dagi was always going to the Academy, talking to all the wisest sages and trying to figure out why couldn't use our magic, but nobody could help us. And that's when we... ran into him?"

"Ran into who?"

"I don't remember his name, or if he even told us it. I don't even remember what he looked like, just that he had this really deep and raspy voice," Sonata gave a brief shudder. "It's one thing I'll never forget, among others. He told us he knew of our troubles and that if we were willing to accept his help, he could help us. He could give us something that would make us more powerful than any other seapony in the cove. He gave us three gems, red rubies, the same ones you saw us wearing when we came to your school." She gestured up to her throat, as though emphasizing her point.

"By then, Dagi and Aria and I had been watching the others grow up and gain such beautiful voices, especially those who studied under the old masters and could weave such powerful magic they could practically bend the sea itself to their will. Oh, you should have seen it! It was such a beautiful thing to see them singing and making dancing shapes from the water! We had grown so jealous of them, and so angry at how they treated us, that we were blinded and took those gems without even thinking about it. When we got home that night, we decided to sneak into the Academy to see the old masters and their students, and without even thinking once, we focused our magic through those gems..."

"And you heard beautiful singing from you for the first time." Fluttershy finished for her. Not looking up at her, Sonata nodded. She gave a shuddering sigh before continuing.

"I thought at the time that it was the most beautiful thing in the sea, more beautiful than anything those stuck up students could hope to produce. But if we knew then what was really happening... I would have torn my vocal cords out right then and there. Before our eyes, they started to make mistakes, and they started to blame their teachers and each other for it. The more we sang, the more they fought, and the more power seemed to flow into is. It tasted sweet, sweeter than any food you can think of. But we didn't know..."

"Didn't know what?" Fluttershy asked. Sonata looked her dead in the eyes, her own purplish ones beginning to mist over.

"Those gems were... cursed. They had some kind of evil magic in them, one we didn't see at the time. All we cared about was that we finally had our voice, and finally had our magic. We couldn't wait to show it off, and finally put those jerks who had been mean to us in their place for good. But the curse of the gems didn't just affect those who we touched with our magic, it also affected us. It made us... awful. It was little things at first; snapping at our parents for seemingly no reason, responding to taunts with nasty remarks of our own, those kinds of things. But soon, we stopped caring about anything but gaining more power. We started performing wherever we could, inciting fights and arguments to soak up the power. We loved it, we craved it, we couldn't think of anything else. And little by little, we were corrupted even further. We started... I started to enjoy what we were doing. I started getting goosebumps everytime I made a really bad argument, even a fistfight. I started to love seeing the seaponies who teased me have a friendship break apart, or a betrothal end, or make their family descend into hatred. And soon, it started to even change my appearance. It started to turn me from a beautiful seapony maiden into that... horrible looking dragon thing you remember from the Battle of the Bands." Her eyes were now beginning to water as each painful memory was recalled. Fluttershy took Sonata's hands into her own to console her.

"Soon, we were causing so much havoc that the guards arrested us while we were putting on a show at the Academy and brought us before our elders for trial. When they asked us why we were doing such horrible things, we just laughed and told them to stuff it, we would keep doing it until we were the most powerful seaponies in existence. It was enough for them that they banished us from our cove that day, never to return... under pain of death." She choked out the last few words. "Our last act before leaving was to curse them and vow revenge should ever return. I'll never forget the look on our mother's face. Not even angry, but... heartbroken. Back then I didn't care, I was just mad I couldn't get any more power... until we found the ponies on land, and... well, Princess Twilight probably told you that."

"But if those cursed gems are what caused you to act that way..." Fluttershy began. Sonata shook her head.

"You don't understand. The gems cursed us and gave us dark powers, sure, but it was because we kept using them. Everything I ever did, I did because I wanted to! Maybe the gems helped, but I still could have stopped. I could have realized what they were doing sooner and took mine off and threw it away, but I didn't, because I wanted to use them, and I enjoyed using them! Every awful thing I ever did and said, whether over there or over here, I did and said because I wanted to! Even after you broke those stupid gems, I still wanted that power, and I hated you for taking it away from me. I even thought about... hurting you." Fluttershy gasped at this, but she never let Sonata's hands go.

"But as the days went by, those feelings started to leave me, and I started to feel a twinge in my heart whenever I thought about what we had done. But things didn't come to a head until I ran into a couple of Canterlot High students while I was on a walk in the park. A boy and a girl were standing across from me. The girl was crying, and the boy was pleading about something. It took a bit before I could make out what they were saying. She said he said some horrible things to her when they were under the influence of our magic, and now she couldn't trust him anymore. No matter how much he begged, she wouldn't listen, and she broke up with him then and there." A single tear came down her cheek. "She ran away crying, and then he turned and saw me. Even with my hood up he recognized me... but he didn't come after me, just stood there with a sad look on his face, and he said 'Well, there you have it. You broke a three-year relationship to pieces in less than a week. I hope the power boost you guys got was worth that much.' But that's when it hit me... everything single boost of power I got from all those unspeakable things I did... It wasn't worth it. It wasn't worth it one single bit. You wanted to know what was bothering me in the restaurant... ever since that day, it all came back in a flood. I couldn't stop thinking about how horrible I was. The images won't get out of my head. I've barely slept because I keep having nightmares about it, and the whole time my heart feels like it's been torn into a thousand pieces."

Fluttershy felt her own eyes mist up as she gave Sonata's hands a comforting squeeze. By now, fresh tears were flowing down the Siren's face, a face which bore a look of pain and guilt, a face of a broken girl bearing the torment of her past.

"I don't deserve your kindness, I don't deserve your friendship," She continued. "Not after I was so awful to you... to everyone. I... I... I'm a monster!" Sonata buried her face in her hands and began to sob.

Fluttershy felt like she had been cut with a sword. Hearing this story had given her a new perspective on her old enemies, but more importantly, her heart ached for her. Sonata was so broken by remorse, she felt she didn't even deserve a second chance. But whatever it was that made it so easy for her to act in such an awful way, it was clear that it was gone. This was not the vicious villain who invaded her school and tried to tear her friendships apart for the sake of power, who took pure sadistic glee in causing hatred and division. This wasn't the same girl who had torn her own homeland and Equestria apart with her magic. No, this was a hurt and remorseful girl torn to pieces by what she had done. Fluttershy wasn't looking at a monster, she was looking a soul in need of healing.

"Sonata, look at me, please," She said gently, taking a hold of her chin when she went to wipe her eyes and trying to draw her face up toward her. Sonata whimpered and tried to pull away at her touch. "Look at me." She repeated, a bit more firmly. Sonata ceased her resistance and turned her tear-streaked face up to look at her. "You're not a monster, Sonata," Fluttershy said, as though she were simply giving the answer to a math problem. Sonata's jaw dropped.

"H-how can you say that, after everything I just told you? After everything I did to you?" She cried. Fluttershy shook her head.

"You are not a monster," She repeated firmly, "and I'll go to my own grave saying that. Do you want to know why?" Sonata said nothing but managed to silence her own crying enough to listen. "Because a monster wouldn't be feeling the way you do now. A monster doesn't care about who it hurts no matter what. A monster doesn't have the heart to feel any kind of sorrow for the awful things it does. If a monster even thinks to say sorry, it doesn't mean a single word that comes out of its maw. But you do have that. I can see it when I look at you now. You're hurting so badly, because of the guilt you feel about what you did, and the very fact that you feel that way proves that you're not a monster. I don't know what it is those gems did to you, I'm still trying to figure this magic thing out myself, but whatever it did, it's gone, and all that remains is the real you." She took Sonata's hands in hers again and squeezed them tight.

"Everyone deserves a second chance if they're willing to change for the better. And if you ask me, nothing anyone does ever makes them unworthy of kindness. You're no exception." Sonata looked back at her with eyes now filled with hope alongside the sadness.

"Y-you... f-forgive me?" She whimpered. Fluttershy smiled.

"I forgave you a long time ago." She said. The dam that had been temporarily stopped up burst open again, fresh tears pouring down Sonata's face. But, these were not just tears of remorse, but also tears of relief, relief of a huge weight finally being lifted off of her shoulders. Sonata threw herself into Fluttershy's embrace, burying her head into her shoulders and sobbing as the feeling of freedom filled her, her pain pouring out of her and running down her cheeks until her heart finally began to feel whole again. Fluttershy hugged her tightly and rubbed her back, allowing her all the time she needed to let her emotions out.

She didn't know how long they were there for, but finally, Sonata was able to stop crying and put a smile on her face.

"How do you feel now?" Fluttershy asked.

"B-better," Sonata said, wiping her face. Fluttershy smiled and gave her another hug, which Sonata gladly returned.

"You know, my friends and I are going to be having our monthly get-together this weekend. We'll be going to the mall to spend time with each other, and we'll be having a sleepover at Twilight's house. I'm sure the girls would love to have you join us. Do you want to?" Sonata's smile faded into a look of uncertainty. Sure, Fluttershy and maybe Rainbow Dash were one thing, but the rest of them?

"I.. I'm not sure..." She said. Fluttershy put a hand on her shoulder.

"Sonata, if there's one thing all of us have learned lately, it's just how powerful friendship is. It's more than just a feeling, it's a powerful thing in its own right. It binds people who truly care about each other together, and more importantly, it can heal. It healed Sunset, it healed Twilight, and I know it can heal you and your sisters. All of us want to share that with you if you're willing to accept it. Please, will you let us share it with you?" Fluttershy looked at her with her turquoise eyes filled with hope. Like before, her eyes shone with a sincerity Sonata couldn't have hoped to ever see. Then, right there, Sonata knew she couldn't refuse.

"O-OK." She said with a smile. Fluttershy beamed and brought her into one last hug before she finally caught a look at the wall clock.

"Oh dear! It's almost eleven! I completely lost track of time. I'll definitely have some explaining to do when I get home." Fluttershy fretted.

"I'm sure they'll understand." Fluttershy smiled and nodded.

"You'd best get home, too. You'll probably be exhausted after today." She said to her newfound friend. Sonata nodded. "One of us will come to pick you up tomorrow if all things work out." The two of them exited the shelter and took a deep breath of the night air. "Good night, Sonata, and sweet dreams." She said. Sonata gave her the biggest hug she could give.

"Good night, Fluttershy... and thank you, for everything." Fluttershy smiled and waved goodbye before getting into her hybrid and driving off for home.

Sonata didn't really pay attention to her walk home, going by memory alone. She felt lighter than she ever had before. Though some pain and guilt remained, most of it had been replaced by a newfound sense of hope. Reaching her apartment, she took her key out and quietly turnd the lock before entering. Locking back up, she made a beeline for her room, changed into some pajamas and slid into bed.

For the rest of the night, she slept with a small, peaceful smile on her face.

A New Journey Begins

Chapter 5: A New Journey Begins

She was back in a familiar place; a dark void, devoid of any light, seemingly floating in the darkness. She scanned the her surroundings, but saw nothing but inky blackness around her. For a moment the silence was the only thing that greeted her, until she began to hear malicious laughter sounding in the darkness.

"Who's there?" Sonata Dusk called out. "What do you want?" She was startled to see a pair of evil red eyes glowing in the darkness, joined by a sinister grinning mouth filled with razor-sharp teeth. Sonata was soon face to face with the familiar face of her own past self, in all its malevolent horror. She desperately fought the urge to scream in terror.

"What do you want with me?" She asked, her voice quivering. Her past self giggled in that horrible sinister and cruel way she remembered she used to, back in the dark old days.

"Sonata, you wound me." Her voice reverberating in the darkness, like a legion of demons. "Don't your recognize your own self?" Sonata hissed in anger.

"You're not me! Not anymore!" She shouted. She flinched when a loud reverberating cackle sounded.

"Ohohoho, that's just too cute." Her duplicate's red-eyed visage leered at her. "But I am you! Or have you forgotten so easily?" She belted out a horrifyingly haunting note, the gem on her neck glowing as a green mist formed around them. From the mist shadowy figures emerged, barely human and distorted but with angry glares on their faces. A chorus of angry shouts filled the air. Most of it was incoherent, but Sonata was able to pick out a few things.

Beasts!

Witches!

Wicked, wicked enchantresses!

Monsters!

Sonata's eyes began to sting with tears as the wicked duplicate giggled malevolently.

"You recognize that, don't you? Do you really think any of these people have forgotten what you did? Are you so blind that you can't see their rage? Do you honestly think forgiveness is so cheap that they'll ever see past it?"

"No, no it's not true...." Sonata whimpered. Her duplicate grabbed her by the collar and hoisted her up to face her.

"They hate you, and they'll always hate you!" Sonata could feel the heat of her breath. "Look at me, this is what you truly are! You'll never escape the past. This darkness will always be a part of you, rotting deep inside your soul! You are a monster, and a monster is all you'll ever be!" She slammed Sonata down and blasted her with dark power. Sonata found herself once again dressed in her old Battle of the Bands outfit, that accursed gem once again around her neck. She tried to stand, only to fall to her knees as she began to weep, each heaving sob bringing more sadistic glee to her duplicate.

"Just accept it, Sonata! It's hopeless!" She said with a wicked laugh. "You know it's true." Sonata held the cursed gem up and looked at her reflection in its facets. She could almost see the face of her monstrous self in it, ready to come out again. Was this all she was.

But then, she felt something else. A cool breeze ran through her hair, surprising her. She looked up to see that, to her astonishment, the void was changing form. A cloudy night sky over a grassy field. She could smell the familiar scent of rain, and hear the grass whisper in the breeze. As she gazed into the night sky, the clouds began to part, and she saw a group of stars glimmering in the night.

Seven glimmering stars.

Seven.

She looked down at the gem one more time, and then at her duplicate's evil visage, and one more time at the stars.

And her face hardened into a determined glare. She forced herself back up to her feet and looked her evil self dead in her vicious eyes.

"No."

Her dark self grimaced in annoyance. "What?'

"You're not me. Not anymore!" Sonata tore the gem off of her neck and clenched it in her hand. Her dark self began to growl in anger.

"What are you..."

"I may not be able to change my past, but I don't have to let it define me, because it's not today!" With a grunt, she slammed the gem down on the ground and gave it an almighty stomp. Almost immediately the gem cracked, the cracks glowing a sickly green. Her past self grunted in apparent pain.

"My past has defined me for too long. No more!" She stomped the gem again. Her dark self cried out in pain as she tried to lunge for her. More cracks appeared, more dark power leaking out.

"I don't care about power and adoration anymore! I have friends, and family, people who do love me and care about me! And thanks to them,I have a way forward!" Another stomp; rays of light were now shooting from the gem as it appeared to be on the verge of breaking. With another scream, her dark self fell to her knees. Her gaze turned hateful, and she screamed in rage at Sonata, who just continued to glare at her.

"All the evil, and the darkness and the cruelty is behind me now! I'm looking to the future now! And I'm.. Never.. Going.. Back!! She roared, giving the gem one last stop to shatter it completely with a bright green flash. Her dark self screamed in agony. Bright white light emerged from her eyes and slowly consumed her, until in a bright white flash she exploded nearly blinding Sonata. When her vision returned, she was greeted by the smiling face of Pinkie Pie looking back at her.

"There you are, Nata! Come on, it's time for s'mores!" She said, stuffing one of the aforementioned treats into her mouth and nomming loudly. Sonata looked past her to see her other friends, and her sisters around a campfire, beckoning her to join them. She beamed brightly and nodded her head. Pinkie took off and Sonata was not far behind, until a purple glow behind her gave her pause.

Curious, she turned to see where the light was coming from. She was surprised to see what looked like a pony... no, an alicorn in the sky! She was purple with a violet mane and eyes, and she could just make out a star-shaped cutie mark on her haunch. She hovered in the sky on a pair of great wings. It didn't take Sonata long to recognize her.

"Princess Twilight?" The alicorn simply smiled warmly at her. No words needed to be said for Sonata to get the message. She returned the smile with her hand over the spot where her gem once sat.

"Thank you." She said.

Fluttershy emerged from the bathroom bleary-eyed after answering the call of nature. It was tempting to get a drink of water, but she decided against. She carefully crept back toward the room the girls were all sharing for the night, not wanting to wake her friends. She carefully stepped over a few stray pizza boxes and a glass bottle, a remnant of the party game they had played when Sonata brought her sisters over.

We'll have some chores to do tomorrow, that's for sure, She thought. Entering the spacious living room where they slept, she was about to return to her chosen spot when she spotted some movement in the moonlight entering through the great window. She turned to see a sight to brought a warmth to her heart and a smile to her face.

The three siren sisters were fast asleep, looking like they were getting the first truly peaceful night's sleep in a long time. Sonata was cuddled up to Adagio, her arms wrapped around her. Adagio likewise had her arm around her sister. Aria too was curled up, her back pressed up against Adagio and one hand clutching her pillow. All three of them had peaceful smiles on their faces, and their mouths even appeared to move on occasion.

Sure signs of contented, peaceful dreams.

Fluttershy watched the adorable sight with a happy smile of her own for a moment before she returned to her own spot and curling up under her blanket. She paused to take one last look at the sleeping sisters.

"Sweet dreams, girls." She said. "And here's to a bright future for all of you." She whispered, before allowing sleep to once again overcome her.

For the rest of the night, the only sound that could be heard was the contented breathing of ten girls, and an occasional happy sigh from three of them.

Something has happened...

They have welcome former foes to their midst....

They have learned compassion....

Loyalty.....

Courage....

Forbearance...

They have mastered power....

It is time....

They are ready....

The Awakening...

.... has begun!

Author's Note

And now the story ends! I've had this story in mind for a while now and I'm super glad I can finally get it down on paper (so to speak x3). The Dazzlings have a tough road ahead of them, but if this show has taught us anything, it's that with good friends by your side you can make any journey successfully.

I want to give special thanks to my GF, ElementofFaith here on Fimfiction, for being my proofreader for this fic. Love you hon <3

If you like this story, please give a thumbs up and a comment if you want, and I'll hope you'll stay tuned for the next one. :twilightsmile:

...And Into Light

Chapter Four: ...And Into light

"Where did Fluttershy say we needed to turn?" Applejack asked, downshifting the massive pickup she was currently behind the wheel of as she stopped at a red light. Twilight looked at her phone at GPS app she currently had open, adjusting her glasses as she did so.

"We need to make a right up here and the apartments will be right down the road." She said. A quick check for oncoming traffic and Applejack was off again, the truck's massive V8 engine growling and sending a smile across the country girl's face.

"I love that sound." She said with a satisfied smirk as they peeled off down the road before arriving at the apartment complex where their former enemies resided. "Looks cozy for one of the cheaper places." Twilight nodded in agreement as Applejack parked across from the main entrance. Exiting the truck, they looked both ways before crossing and strolled up to the building, taking a moment to glance at the mailbox to determine their apartment number.

The lobby of the building was modestly furnished with a few chairs for residents, a TV off to one side playing a local news station and a small reception desk currently occupied by a single receptionist taking notes in a ledger. She looked up when she noticed the two girls' approach.

"Can I help you?" She asked in a bored tone.

"We're here to visit the residents in apartment 216." Twilight informed her. The receptionist brought out another ledger for them.

"Sign in here, please." She said. Both girls did so and handed the book back to the receptionist, who nodded them off before resuming her work. Both girls quickly boarded an open elevator, with Applejack pushing the button for the second floor. Twilight took a moment to text their friends that they were getting Sonata before the elevator doors closed.

"I hope she has a good time with us," Twilight said.

"Me too, Twi." Applejack replied, leaning back against the rear wall of the elevator as it slowly made its way up.

Sonata wasn't having the easiest time.

Despite the weekend being the normal time she washed her clothes, it turned out that seemingly the entire building had the same idea, meaning all the machines at the communal laundry were full. Now the former siren had to depend on the generosity of her sisters since she was down to just lounge pants and pajama bottoms, not something one would wear out on the town. Fortunately for her, Aria had some clean clothes left for her to borrow.

Unfortunately, the only pants she had available were the ridiculously tacky purple faux-leather studded trousers that she had worn when they first showed up at CHS, the ones she was certain that the Vice Principal She-Forgot-Her-Name would never have let Aria in the building wearing were it not for the accursed gems they were wearing.

And now, as then, Sonata absolutely hated the things. Sonata groused as she looked at herself in the mirror. Alongside the aforementioned purple abominations, she wore a denim vest over one of her favorite hot pink t-shirts along with her usual pink calf-high sneaker boots. She opted for a simple charm bracelet she had managed to pick up at the local mall on one of the few trips she had made there for jewelry and managed to apply a light layer of makeup for the occasion.

But those darn pants!

"I bet that Buttface left me these stupid things on purpose." Sonata groused out loud. She sighed. Not much she could do about it, other than just hope nobody minded. She picked up her purse and paused a moment when she saw something on her dresser drawer.

A single tiny sea snail shell, purplish in color, sitting in a coin tray. She picked it up and ran her fingers over it. She remembered the day she found it.

It was another rare occasion that she had really ventured out into public since the Battle of the Bands. She had managed to find a relatively quiet section of beach far away from any possible encounters with angry CHS students, where she could relax and try in vain to forget about the gnawing guilt that was growing within her. When she was still a young one living in her cove, she loved the colorful shells she found on the sandy bottom. She would string seaweed through them and make necklaces that she would give to her sisters. It always made them happy after they had to deal with the jeers and teasing of those more accomplished than them. This one she decorated with little stick-on jewels she got from a hobby store. It was a little reminder of the home she once knew.

A home she likely would never see again.

She felt a tear come to her eye as she thought about home, about the beautiful azure waters and colorful coral reefs. About all the tiny, colorful fish she loved to chase and play tail tag with. About the home she was willing to throw away for the sake of power.

Then, she remembered that she had been carrying the shell when she met Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash at the diner. She took a deep breath to still her emotions and put the shell in her pocket. She hadn’t ever really been the superstitious type, but she felt that things could only get better if she held onto that shell. She grabbed her purse and went into the bathroom to put a little bit of makeup on as a knocking sounded on the door.

“Y’all home, Sugarcube?” Applejack called out.

“Come on in! I’ll be out in a second!” They heard Sonata call back. The two of them waited before Sonata came out digging through her purse.

“Sorry for the wait you guys, I just had...yaaahahahaha!” She yelped when she finally looked up got sight of Twilight, skittering back and tripping over a nearby easy chair and falling backward. Applejack and Twilight winced at the ensuing thud.

“Um… Nice to meet you, too?” Twilight asked with an awkward smile. Sonata’s hand reached over the fallen couch to wave at her.

“Oh, hi Twilight!” She said with a chipper voice before pointing at her. “Um, since when did you wear glasses?” Surprised, Twilight instinctively reached up and adjusted them.

“I’ve always worn them, actually.”

Applejack chuckled.

“Sonata, this is the Twilight from this side of the portal.” She explained. “Princess Twilight’s back in Equestria.” Sonata poked her head up from behind the easy chair.

“Oh, I knew that.”

“Did y’all really?” Applejack asked with a grin. Sonata sighed.

“No,” She admitted, “but I thought I could cover it.” The two other girls shared a hearty laugh before helping her up.

“Come on, Sugarcube, let's get going. The others are waitin’ for ya.” Sonata smiled a bit, though she also felt some nervous tingles in her stomach.

She hoped that this was going to go OK.

“Pinkie Pie, darling, do you mind giving me some space?” Rarity complained, trying to put some last-minute touches to her makeup on while the pink-skinned party planner pranced around hooting in excitement.

“Sorry Rarity, I can’t help it! We’re making a new friend!” She cheered. Rarity scowled.

“Believe me, I’m excited about this too, but you’re being a bit of a distraction. I need to concentrate while I…” She just managed to get her mascara away before Pinkie scooped her up into an excited hug before resuming her skipping. Rarity sighed. “Never mind.” Sunset chuckled.

“Aw, give her a break Rarity.” She said. Rarity just returned to finishing her touchup. Fluttershy fed Angel Bunny while Rainbow Dash scanned the road for any sign of Applejack’s truck, anxiously tapping her foot.

“Ugh, come on guys! We’re ready to get this kicked off.” She complained. The others just scoffed slightly at her impatience before they finally sighted a dust cloud coming up the path to Sweet Apple Acres. Pinkie squealed as Applejack’s truck came into view.

“Eeeheeehee! She’s here, she’s here!” She cried as the truck pulled up and Applejack and Twilight stepped out, followed by Sonata Dusk who gingerly stepped out of the truck and joined them

“Sorry, we ran behind, y’all. Seems we hit every darn red light on the way out here.” Applejack complained. Pinkie squealed and rushed forward to envelope Sonata in the biggest hug she could give.

Somehow, Sonata's cheeks managed to get even bluer as Pinkie tightened her grip around her.

"Uh… guys… help…. please… "

"Oh my cupcakes! I'm so glad you're finally here!" Pinkie cheered happily. She squeezed Sonata to the point that the poor girl legitimately began to squeak in pain and struggle to escape. “We’re going to have so much fun! Welcome to the herd, Dusky!” Rainbow and Applejack grabbed the pink menace’s arms and tried to pry her loose from the poor siren.

“Pinks, do you think you can let her breathe while you hug her?” The speedster chided. Pinkie giggled and finally let go, allowing Sonata to catch a much-needed breath of air. A loud gasp escaped her mouth.

“Oh, sweet oxygen…” She muttered. Rainbow helped her up.

“Hehe, sorry about that, Pinkie can get a little carried away.” Rarity busied herself taking in Sonata’s choice of outfit.

“My, those are some… ahem, fetching pants you’ve chosen to wear this evening.” Indeed, Sonata’s outfit clashed with Rarity’s simple blue sundress and sandals combo.

“Yeah, I hate them too,” Sonata replied. “Unfortunately, I forgot to throw my stuff in for laundry day and this was all Aria had for me to borrow. I don’t know how she was even allowed in your school with these butt-huggers.” The rest of the girls snickered at her choice of words.

“Hmm, perhaps I can help you with that if you’d like.” Rarity offered. Sonata was taken aback. They had just been reintroduced and she was already offering to get her new clothes? Even now she could hardly believe such generosity. “Oh, how rude of me, I’m Rarity darling.”

“The fashion girl, right?” Sonata asked.

“That’s one way of putting it, yes.” Rarity replied. Sunset had been quiet the whole time, never taking her eyes off of Sonata as she began to chat with her friends. It was a moment she had been hoping for ever since that fateful Spring night. Her eyes misting over a bit, she began to walk toward them.

“Sunset Shimmer?” Sonata asked a bit nervously when she finally caught sight of her. Dressed in the same outfit that she remembered from the Battle, it gave her every appearance of the tough girl that she had once been. Sonata couldn’t help but feel a bit intimidated.

“Uh, hi Sunset.” She said, nervously waving. “Remember me?” Despite Fluttershy’s assurances from the other night, she just couldn’t help but feel that nervous tingling again in her stomach facing the one who had defeated her and her sisters. Sunset, for her part, bore an unreadable expression as she looked Sonata over. Sonata felt herself shiver a bit. Sunset looked at her for a second, causing the others to gain concerned expressions and for Sonata to gulp, and then flinch when Sunset raised her hand. This disappeared when Sunset's only action was to bring Sonata into a tight hug.

"Huh-whu?" The confused former would-be conqueror huffed. Sunset merely smiled.

"Thank goodness you guys are alright. We thought you might have been struggling." Sunset said, her voice quavering a bit.

"Were you that worried about us?" Sonata asked.

"After you guys ran off after the Battle, we tried looking for you." Rarity said. "Sunset wanted to extend a hand of friendship toward you, and give you a chance to have a new life."

"In hindsight, I didn't know if you would have been willing to accept it, given what had just happened," Sunset explained. "But these girls were willing to do the same for me, even after all the horrible things I did to them, and I thought... no, knew that you deserved the same chance."

"I.... thank you." Sonata managed to say. Pinkie Pie then engulfed her in another huge hug.

"Alright, enough of this sappy stuff! Let's get our party on!" Rainbow whooped. The others murmured in agreement. "First stop, Canterlot Mall!" Rainbow followed up to cheers from her friends.

As they rushed off, Sonata hung back for a moment, taking in what she had just witnessed. People who should have been her enemies, welcoming her with open arms. Not only that, but they had been trying hard to find her and give her the gift of friendship that they had received. Sonata felt a tear fall down her cheek as she smiled, a real one of pure joy.

"Hey, Nata! Are you coming? You're gonna miss all the fun!" She heard Pinkie chirp happily in the distance, shaking her out of her thoughts.

"Oops! Coming!" She cried, rushing off to join her new friends.

Aria Blaze was not in the best of moods. That could be said for most of the time, but whenever she got off from work, tired and bored out of her skull, it was especially so. She jammed her key into the lock of their apartment and flung the door open, sighing with weariness. At least the place was clean and she wouldn't have to do any tidying after a long day.

"I could use a drink." She muttered to herself. It seemed today that every single customer was either there to complain or waste her time with useless questions rather than actually buy something. She didn't even bother to count was was in the till and left that to her perpetually cheery coworker to do. She sauntered into the kitchen to rife through the fridge when a not on the kitchen counter caught her eye. It was then that she realized Sonata was not home.

"Sonata?" She called, before picking up the note.

Hey Dagi and Ari,

I went out for a while. Not sure when I'll be back, but I will later. I got something I need to talk to you guys about.

Love,
Sonata

"Huh. So that explains it." Aria said. 'I wonder what you're up to."

"Booya! Beat my personal best!" Rainbow whooped after the Skee-Ball landed in the high scoring ring for the what felt like the fiftieth time and a stream of tickets poured out from the dispenser. "Who's the Queen of Skee-Ball? The Dash, that's who!" The others rolled their eyes at their competitive friend's exuberance.

"OK, OK, great job." Applejack said with a chuckle. "Now move aside, it's my turn." The gang was at the Quarter Horse Arcade, after having gotten dinner and caught the latest movie at the theater. Rainbow couldn't help but show off on the various games, which resulted in a huge pile of tickets that she shanghaied Fluttershy into helping her carry. Rainbow scoffed

"Heh, good luck, but I don't think even you can beat that." She pointed at the dizzying display of numbers on the board indicating the machine's current high score.

"Is that a challenge?" AJ asked with a grin.

"Go for it. You beat that high score, I do your homework for a month starting when school lets back in." The two girls did a spit shake, much to Rarity's disgust, and agreed to the challenge. Sunset, for her part, just stood there, watching the amusement.

"Say guys, anyone see where Twilight and Sonata went?" She asked. The others murmured in the negative, before a loud musical chime sounded from where the pinball machines were. The gang turned to see Twilight staring at one of the machines with her mouth agape. They rushed over to see Sonata with a determined look on her face, manning one of the machines, decorated with dancing ponies and capped with an elegant facade of a winged unicorn with a golden crown. Sunset noted the odd similarities with a certain former mentor before turning to Twilight.

"What's up?" She asked.

"Just watch this." Twilight said, astounded.

Sonata's face was locked on the pinball board, her fingers seemingly moving at the speed of sound as she played. Her tongue was hanging out of one side of her mouth, which was bent up in a "bring it on" grin. The ball was merely a silver blur and the sound of it striking the targets blended with the beeps and chimes as she racked up a massive score.

"Geez, how many balls did she waste doing this run?" Rainbow asked.

"That's her first one." Twilight replied, pointing to the indicator saying that, sure enough, she still had three balls left. Rainbow's jaw dropped as Sonata continued to play, the number continuing to soar higher until the whole machine began to flash and chime.

"Rockin' good job! You just got the new high score!" Rainbow's mouth began to twitch as Sonata finally lost a ball and decided enough was enough.

"My high score...." She whimpered. The other girls began to giggle while Sonata beamed.

"Hey, that's what Ari looked like when I beat her pinball score!" She exclaimed. Pinkie began to bop her head to an invisible beat.

"Dashie thought she was, the bally table queen! But she just handed her pinball crown to Nata!" She sang. Rainbow just scowled while her friends howled with laughter.

"That didn't even rhyme!" The others just continued to laugh while Sonata hung back. Her smile at beating another high score was replaced by a look of thoughtfulness.

That's what Ari looked like...

The mention of her sister's name brought her back to down to Terra. In her zest for spending time with what were rapidly becoming her new best friends, she had briefly forgotten about her sisters. But now she remembered.

And a plan began to form in her mind.

Twilight's house was, not surprisingly for someone who's family could have afforded Crystal Prep's outrageous tuition rates, was a good size. With her mother being a well-respected professor at the local college and her father being a prominent diplomat, it wasn't surprising that they were in the upper crust of society. Many were surprised to learn that her brother had chosen the relatively mundane, in comparison, job of being a police officer for the city.

But the size was perfect for what was going on now. The kitchen had all the appearance of a sugar bomb going off with all the flour, frosting, sprinkles and other baking materials strewn across it while a hyperactive pink girl danced about while mixing a bowl of cookie dough. The others were in the other room, avoiding the dough storm and watching a movie on the living television. All except for one.

Sonata was staring out the window, deep in thought as she had been since they left the mall. Contrary to all outward appearances, she was actually quite smart, and right now the gears in her head were turning, and her plan was coming together.

"Sonata?" She turned to at the sound of the soft voice to see Fluttershy approaching her with a cup of root beer and a cupcake. "Pinkie just finished baking this batch. Would you like some?"

"Tempting, but... I have something I need to do." She said. "It's about... you know who." Fluttershy didn't need any more than a millisecond to figure out what she was talking about.

"You mean..." She began. Sonata nodded.

"I'll be back as soon as I can." She said, throwing her shoes back on. "You may want to let them know we may be having some extra guests." Fluttershy nodded.

"Do you need a ride?" She asked. Sonata shook her head.

"Thanks, but I think I can handle it." She said. "If anyone asks... yeah." Fluttershy nodded and smiled.

"Good luck, Sonata." She said, giving her a hug before Sonata managed to slip out the door. Fluttershy placed Sonata's treat on the kitchen counter and covered it with some foil while Pinkie was pulling her next batch out of the oven. A curious Pinkie noticed that the siren was not with her.

"Hey, where'd she go?" Pinkie asked, loud enough to pique the curiosity of the others. Fluttershy took a calming breath before answering.

"She's gone to go speak with her sisters." Fluttershy said. The room briefly fell silent.

"Does that mean..." Sunset began. Fluttershy nodded. A brief silence fell in the room as they all considered the ramifications of what she had just said. All of the assembled girls bore looks of uncertainty. None of them was sure what was about to happen. But, slowly, a sense of hope entered as they thought about what they had experienced over the past couple of days.

Perhaps, just maybe...

"I'd better go get some extra bedding." Twilight said.

Sonata's heart was pounding in her ears as she approached her apartment. It had been quite the trip from Twilight's house to the apartment, and she hadn't stopped thinking about what she was about to do the entire time. To say that she was terrified would be the understatement of several lifetimes. Her hands hadn't stopped shaking since she had left the house, and her breath was getting more and more ragged as she got off the bus and ran up to her apartment complex. A short trip up the elevator and she stood outside the door to her apartment. She took several deep breaths to steady herself.

"It's time." She said. "Now or never." She opened the door, unlocked thanks to at least of her sisters now being home, and stepped inside. Sure enough, Aria was splayed out on the couch with a bored expression on her face, flicking through channels. A couple grunts escaped her as she flicked past some dumb dating reality show with a plastic-looking woman trying to "win" the hand of equally plastic looking men.

"Hi, Ari." Sonata said. Aria finally looked up from the TV to look at her. The bags under her eyes bore mute testimony to the exhausting day she sure had had.

"Hey, where you been?" Aria asked. "Adagio's on her way home, by the way."

"Good, because I need to talk to you guys." Sonata said. Aria scowled a bit.

"About what?"

"First, I need to tell you something." Sonata steeled herself before continuing. "The other day... I ran into some of the Rainbooms."

"The who?" Aria asked, cocking her head in confusion. "Wait... you mean those punks who creamed us? Where?"

"At Tom's Diner downtown, which goes to your question. We... we hit it off, and I've been spending the day with them. They're my new friends." Aria's eyes nearly bugged out of her skull.

"You were what!?" She half whispered, half-shouted. "Did you replace what was left of your brain with bean and cheese? What were you thinking hanging out with our enemies like that!?" Sonata shook her head.

"They're not our enemies, at least not anymore. They reached out to me when they didn't have to. Nobody at their school would have blamed them if they had just flattened us, but they didn't. They wanted to be friends with us. Yes, us." Sonata said, fetching a soda for herself. "And to be honest, it's a great idea. The last couple of days have showed me just how awesome sharing friendship with people is." Aria buried her face in her hands and let out an exasperated groan.

"Ugh, when Adagio finds out, she's going to wring your neck." Aria groaned. Sonata gave her a cheeky grin.

"Hah! I knew you had a soft spot for your little sister. Ari-bear is a big ol' softy." She teased.

"Whu.. I don't.. I mean... UGH!" Aria groaned.

"What Adagio might do to me is the least of our problems." Sonata continued, the hiss of her opening soda punctuating her speech as her tone got more serious. "We have much bigger things to talk about, and I want her here when we do. It concerns all of us." She took a swig just as the door opened.

"I'm home, girls!" Adagio's voice called. "Um, Aria? Are you OK?" She asked, finally noticing her expression. Aria rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.

"Hehehe, never better. Absolutely nothing wrong on my end! Definitely didn't just get any sort of bad news or anything." Sonata rolled her eyes while Adagio raised an eyebrow.

"Uh-huh." She said. "Whatever's really going on, you can tell me after I've gotten myself cleaned up." She said, making a beeline for the bathroom.

"No, Dagi. We need to talk." Sonata said. Aria began to frantically try and wave her off, but Sonata ignored her.

"Um, excuse me?" Adagio asked, annoyed.

"We need to talk, now." Sonata said. "It's important." Aria by now had stopped waving and was simply standing there sweating bullets, which Adagio thankfully didn't seem to notice.

"Look Sonata, I've been on my feet all day answering guest complaints and trying to find cabs for tourists. My shower and foot bath are very important at the moment, so we can talk later, I promise." She turned and began to walk back to the bathroom.

"Dagi, I'm serious." Sonata said, irritation becoming more apparent in her voice.

"I'll only be a few..." Adagio nearly jumped out of her suit right then and there when Sonata suddenly pounded the kitchen island as hard as she could. Aria yipped and jumped back, almost falling over the same easy chair that Sonata had earlier in the day.

"Dagi, get your big butt back in here and sit down! Now!" Sonata shouted, causing both of her elder sisters to look at her with shocked expressions. Aria didn't waste much time rushing over and sitting down at the island, her pupils pinpricks. Adagio just stood there with her mouth agape before Sonata growled and pointed at the seat next to Aria.

"This really shouldn't work on me." She muttered before she too came back and gingerly sat down. "OK, you have our attention. What's so important it can't wait?"

"First off, you need to know something." Sonata began. Aria shook he head vigorously.

"No! Don't tell her!" She yelped. Adagio looked at her with a surprised expression.

"Don't tell me what? What's going on here?"

"First off," Sonata said, taking a calming breath, "I've made friends with the Rainbooms." Aria burst out with the most ridiculous fake laugh seemingly in existence.

"That's a good one, Sonata! Ain't she a kidder, Adagio. Bahahahahahaha!" Sonata buried her face in her palm.

"And she says I'm the worst?" Adagio's face contorted in a furious scowl.

"I sincerely hope you are joking." She said with a snarl. "Please tell me you are joking? Surely there's no way in the flaming pits of Tartarus that you've made friends with them!"

"No, it's all true," Sonata said with a shake of her head. "The other day, they found me at the diner downtown. At a low point in my life, they reached out to me. They wanted to be my friend, to show me that there was something better in life than what we had. They wanted to give me a second chance, and not just me, but you guys as well. And to be perfectly honest, I needed it, and so do we."

"What in the Southern Seas are you blathering about?" Adagio said.

"I never let on, but I've felt horrible about what I've done, what we've done. It was crushing me. Honestly, it hurt so much that there were days I couldn't go long without crying thinking about all the awful things I did. The guilt was eating me alive." Adagio held up a hand to stop her.

"Guilt? Sonata, none of us have anything to feel guilty about. We were just doing what came naturally to us sirens." Adagio said matter-of-factly. Sonata crossed her arms.

"Adagio, what the students back at the Academy were doing was natural. Seapony song magic is natural. What unicorn ponies do is natural. There wasn't anything natural about what we were doing. Those pendants were not natural. They destroyed us." She sighed. "If they were so natural, then why did we all wake up one morning and see that all our teeth had fallen out and been replaced by fangs? Why did we slowly become so mean and cruel to everybody?" Adagio opened her mouth to say something, but for once in her life the former siren was silent. Sonata smirked slightly before she continued.

"Ever since we were beaten at CHS, I've had my eyes opened. I've come to see just how horrible we were, to everyone." She said. "And I know you've been feeling the same way about it."

"And you got that idea where?"

"From hearing you two cry yourselves to sleep at night."

Sonata breathed a deep sigh of relief at having finally gotten this out in the open, and now she anxiously awaited her sisters' response. At first they just sat there with confused looks on their faces. Finally, both of them began to snicker, which turned into chortles, and then to chuckles before erupting into full on belly laughs.

"Crying ourselves to sleep? That's crazy!" Aria wheezed. Sonata raised an eyebrow.

"So you crying for mama during a nightmare and me having to comfort you so you didn't wake up in a cold sweat was just me hallucinating?" She asked. Aria promptly fell over laughing.

"Me, crying for my mommy!? Do I look like someone who's been doing that for weeks on end!? Bahahaha!" Sonata just stared at her.

"What did you just say?" She asked. Aria promptly caught herself.

"Uh, nothing. Stop being a moron!" Sonata glared at her, her violet eyes now burning with a fire that seemed to burn straight into Aria's heart.

"Aria, you can call me whatever names you want, but don't you dare lie to me." She said, her voice betraying her tranquil fury at being deceived by her own sister. "I know what I heard." Adagio stepped between them.

"Look Sonata, I don't know what you've been hearing, but Aria has a point." She began. "What kind of... people do you think we are? Do you really thing we're so weak that we would be allow ourselves to fall apart over a loss? Do you really think that we would bawl in guilt over what we've done? That I, the leader, the one who held us together when we were cast out of our home, would let myself crumble like that?" Adagio's voice radiated confidence, but even Sonata could hear the slight crack in her voice.... and the slight quiver of her lips as she spoke.

"Is that really true?" She asked, her anger subsiding, replaced by a gentle encouraging tone. Adagio flipped her hair and crossed her arms.

"Well, of course it is! What do you think I've been doing for the past few months? I've been working hard to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table. There's no room for emotional weakness!" Sonata merely nodded for her continue. "I mean, it's not like I've been losing sleep or anything. It's not like I've been having nightmares about something awful happening to you or having to... to relive everything that happened at Canterlot High, or have to cover my ears because I.. I can't bear to hear the voices... screaming... telling me I'm such an awf... awfuh... I... I... "

And the floodgates were opened.

Adagio began to shake with barely suppressed sobs. Her knees soon buckled and she was forced to back up against a kitchen wall as she began to wail inconsolably. What resistance may have been in Aria's being evaporated. With a hiss of pain, she rushed over and pounded the wall before burying her face into her arm, her sobs silent but no less pained than her sister's. Sonata, closest to Adagio, rushed over to her weeping elder sister and wrapped her up in the tightest, warmest hug she could. Adagio wrapped her arms around her and buried her face into her shoulder.

Sonata wasn't sure how long Adagio sat there weeping. It may have only been a few minutes as she poured her pain out, but the end result was the same. Sonata just whispered soothing words until finally Adagios sobs began to lessen. Her shoulder was by soaked with tears, but it wasn't important. Sonata waved Aria over to join them before she allowed Adagio to leave her embrace. Adagio's mascara was streaking down her cheeks as tears continued to spill from her eyes. Sonata fetched a tissue and wiped her cheeks. Adagio squirmed a bit but otherwise accepted her sister's gesture.

"I've barely slept in weeks." Adagio whimpered. "I can't get the voices out of my head. I hear them whenever I close my eyes. They're screaming at me, 'why did you do all this, Adagio', and I can't answer." More sobs threatened to pour forth from her as she pulled her knees up to her chest.

"It's tearing me apart." She moaned. "It keeps playing over and over again in my mind. I can see every evil I've ever done in my life. I can't make it stop..."

"Why didn't you say something?" Sonata asked, busying herself with rubbing Aria's back. The aforementioned girl simply sniffled and wiped the tears from her own eyes as she listened to the exchange.

"Because I couldn't!" Adagio cried. "I'm the elder sister. The two of you were depending on me, after everything that happened. I needed to be strong for you. I.. I couldn't fail you again. I've already failed you too many times. I was the one who placed those damned gems around your necks. I was the one who led you in doing all those awful things. It was me who got us exiled, and it was my idea to go after Canterlot High and... everything I've ever done has led you from bad to worse. No, no, I couldn't, I couldn't fall apart. I couldn't let you down again..." Sonata placed her hands on her shoulders.

"Dagi, you can't put all this on yourself. Each of us has a share in the guilt. We all took the curse on. But we can't change the past." She handed her soda to Dagi, who gratefully took a sip. "The only thing we can do now is move forward and make a change for the better."

"How on Equus are we supposed to move forward from everything we did?" Aria asked, her voice weak. "How can anyone forgive us for what we did over there, and what we almost did over here."

"If what we did was unforgivable, then why would the Rainbooms even bother with me? It's true, nobody would blame them for just ignoring me and going about their day, but that's what makes this so amazing. It's real friendship, you guys." She stood up. "It's the kind that's willing to look past those past hurts and welcome people with an open heart. It's about having people like you for the right reasons. It's the kind that heals the wounds of the past and paves the way for a brighter future... together. That's what they showed me, and now I want to help you find it too." She gently took her sister's hands and brought them back to their feet.

"You know, they're having a slumber party. Come back with me. Let them welcome you into their friendship like they welcomed me. I know they will. If they can welcome me, they can welcome you. Let's move forward, all of us, together." She said, her eyes bright with hope.

Both of her sisters looked at her, and then at each other. For a few moments, they repeated this, an occasional sniffle breaking the silence. Sonata waited with bated breath, anxious to see what choice her sisters would make. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, both of them let go of her hands and, to her dismay, walked down the hall and into their respective rooms, closing the doors behind them.

Sonata felt her heart sink. After everything, after they finally came forward about their own pain, they were still unwilling to give this a chance? She sighed heavily, feeling her own eyes sting a bit.

"Well, I tried..." She said, turning around to leave. She had almost made it to the door when she heard Adagio call her.

"Sonata?" She turned to see the two of them emerging from the hallway. Her heart began to soar when she saw what they were carrying. Their pajamas, alongside some sleeping gear.

"You... did say it was a... slumber party, right?" Aria asked. Sonata's face was split with an impossibly huge grin as she vigorously nodded and embraced them in a huge hug. Neither of them bothered to try and fight her off.

"Well, Mom and Dad don't mind a couple of extra guests." Twilight said, putting her phone down.

"So it's all settled then?" Sunset asked. Twilight nodded. "Well then, all we have to do now is wait." Rainbow paced around the room.

"That's the worst part." She said.

"I know what you mean." Applejack replied. "Now we just might have all three of them here. It's about to get awkward, y'all."

"I know. But we have to do for them what we did for Sonata. If she's willing to change for the better, we have no reason to assume the other two are not." Sunset replied matter-of-factly. "But Dash is right, the waiting is the worst part."

"The nervous anticipation, the wondering how it's going to turn out, the fear that everything is going to fall apart and there isn't anything you can do about it." Fluttershy stated. "Yes, I know that feeling all too well." She shivered, and Rainbow put a comforting hand on her shoulder. Fluttershy smiled.

"But Sunset's right." Rainbow gave her a playful clap on the shoulder. Fluttershy smiled in agreement.

They weren't sure how long they waited in silence after that. None of them knew what else to say, and were more focused on what they would do when Sonata finally returned. What could they say? What could they do? The questions burned in their minds like one of Mr. Doodle's science class bunsen burners. The wheels in their minds turned and clicked, but none of them really came up with anything, and it just seemed to make them even more anxious. They were so lost in their thoughts that all of them gave a start when the door finally knocked. With a breath to steel herself, Twilight was the first to speak.

"It's open!" She called out. The door creaked open, and soon Sonata came into view, her face split with the happiest and most excited grin they had ever seen on anyone's face. She gave a silent beckon to someone standing off to the side of her, just out of sight. As they watched, a shock of honey-colored hair came into view, before it's owner timidly entered the room with her purples eyes scanning the room and her mouth pursed in a nervous look. Following close behind her was her purple-haired companion, her familiar pigtails gone and her hair handing behind her in a violet cascade. Both of them were dressed in their sleeping clothes and were carrying some pillows and blankets clutched in their arms. Sonata was seemingly quivering in place, her hands pressed against her mouth but her cheeks still bearing her unmistakeable grin.

For a while, nobody said a word. The energy in the room was one of equal parts nervous trepidation and excited anticipation. Two former sirens and six friends looked at each other across the room, each waiting for the other to make the first move. Everyone felt a tingling sensation, as though the tension was producing a charge in the air around them. Finally, Sunset grinned at the rest of her friends before confidently stepping forward.

"Hey." She said with her most winning smile. Both siren sisters looked at each other before the honey-haired one spoke.

"H-hey." She said. Sunset stepped a bit closer. By now, she could see the redness and puffiness of recent tears in their eyes. She felt a twinge of heartache for them, but kept her smile as she spoke next.

"So, who's who?"

"I'm Adagio Dazzle." The honey-haired one said. "This is Aria Blaze, and you've been introduced to Sonata Dusk." The purple-haired girl gave her a nervous wave while Sonata just eeped as she fought to suppress an excited squeal. Sunset held her hand to Adagio. She started at it for a few seconds before gingerly reaching out for an apparent handshake. Sunset smiled and took it before guiding her hand in some sort of high-five motion followed by a fist bump. Adagio looked at her hand briefly after she had finished.

"Um, interesting." Was all she could muster while Sunset repeated the gesture, unaided, with Aria. The rest of the Rainbooms finally came forward and began to offer their own welcome, Sunset taking the time to explain that the Twilight they were looking at wasn't the princess they remembered when Adagio looked like she was going to give a bow to her.

"Ooh! I just remembered!" Pinkie chirped, giving them all a start as she flew off into the kitchen and reappearing with a tupperware container. "I made these for you guys!" She said, placing it in Adagio's hands. Adagio looked at her for a second, as though seeking permission to open it. Pinkie simply gestured for her open it already. Adagio gently took the lid off, revealing two large cupcakes decorated with frosting that matched their hair, and what appeared to be decorations in the shape of their personal symbols. Adagio's eyes widened.

"How did you know what our symbols were? I figured you would have forgotten as much as you could about us by now..."

"Sonata helped! She had plenty of pictures of you guys!" Pinkie said. "I wasn't sure what your favorite flavor was, so I made them both vanilla." Adagio and Aria took them out and looked at them, before Adagio gently took a bite of hers. Immediately her mouth was filled with the most delicious flavors she had ever tasted in her life, which caused her to sigh a bit in pleasure before taking another huge bite and getting frosting on her nose. The rest of the girls giggled at the silly look before Sonata wiped it off.

"While you guys are snacking, I got the bottle out." Rainbow said, spinning an empty glass bottle on her finger. "Who's ready to play."

"Um... I'm sure you guys are cool and all, but we don't swing that way." Aria said, finally deciding to speak. Pinkie started laughing uproariously.

"It's not for that, silly! It's to pick who goes in Truth or Dare!" She said. Aria chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of her head.

"Oh, yeah, I knew that." She said. Dash beckoned everyone over. The girls piled into a circle around the bottle, Sonata included. The other two hesitated a bit, before a bright smile from their sister and a pat of the area next to her caused them to cautiously come over, placing their belongings on the couch next to them, before gingerly taking their seats with some encouragement from the rest of the girls.

Sonata's eyes began to fill with happy tears when she saw this. It was working better than she had dared to hope for.

In her mind and heart, she said a prayer of thanksgiving, the most thankful she could ever say she had said.

Author's Note

Whew! Finally finished this thing. I'm super glad to be back into writing. It's a welcome distraction from all the crap that 2020 has decided to give us. Hope you guys enjoy!

As a little tidbit, the scene where Adagio breaks down is modeled after a scene in the DS9 episode "Duet". Any Trekkies will know what I mean. =)